About to Git Started

I know the date says, "10/5/2015," but in all honesty it is closer to 10/6, and it most likely will be by the time I am done writing this post. Before I turn in for the night, I wanted to share some information I have been jumping headlong into for the past week or so about version control. If you aren't familiar with version control, it is a way keeping tabs on and managing files through different iterations. For Developers, especially when collaborating, it is essential to track progress and create backups, and version control makes those interactions more fluid. Version control allows multiple Developers to work on a single file at the same time and merge together those changes into a more solidified file.

The version control system I've played around with is Git. Git is an open-source version control system, so it is free to use. Even for a coding novice, such as myself, I found navigating my way through Git straightforward. Git allows you to maneuver your way through files and make changes by entering text commands into your terminal.

Another great tool to use when talking about version control systems is GitHub. GitHub lives remotely, on the internet, while Git is lives locally on one's computer. Because GitHub can be accessed remotely by multiple users, it is preferred when collaborating on projects. One nifty feature on GitHub is the ability to fork (or copy) public files and clone that copy on to your computer, so anyone can collaborate and provide innovation. Since changes to files are compiled into multiple save points called commits, developers can refer to previous commits to see when something went wrong and pick up where they left off. If the changes are a good fit, they can be merged into the master file.

Hopefully you were able to take away some basic information on version control and version control systems so you can "Git" a head start in tracking the progress and changes of your projects.