1. Fundamentals of Git

Why Version Control Matters

• Maximized Collaboration Efficiency: When multiple developers work on the same project, version control helps minimize conflicts and provides transparent tracking of code changes.
• Easy History Tracking and Restoration: You can revisit or roll back to any previous point in the project’s history, aiding bug tracking and urgent rollbacks.
• Safe Experimentation via Branches: Work on features in parallel and merge them back into the main line only after thorough review and testing.

Key Concepts in Git

1. Repository

• The complete storage of a project’s history (commits, branches, etc.).
• Consists of a local repo on your machine and a remote repo on a hosting platform.

2. Staging Area

• A temporary area where you decide which changes in the working directory will become part of the next commit.
• Use git add to move changes from your working directory to the staging area.

3. Commit

• A recorded snapshot of changes in the staging area.
• Every commit represents a discrete point in your project’s development timeline.

4. Branch

• A parallel line of development. It allows you to develop a feature independently, then merge it back into the main line once it’s stable.

5. HEAD Pointer

• The pointer indicating the current working branch and commit.
• Typically points to the latest commit on your current branch; it advances automatically when you create a new commit.