Collaboration Over Version Control

Let's dive into the basics, plus some advanced tips for the seasoned devs. Don't forget to follow me or give this post a 👍 if you find it helpful!

1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 A repository (or "repo") is like a project folder where all your code and its history are stored.

How-To: Create a new repository on GitHub/GitLab or another Git platform. You'll need credentials for these services. Follow the platform's instructions to create the repo.

Tip: It is possible to set up some platform specific CI/CD tools, so check them out because they are totally for free.

2️⃣ 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 Cloning a repo means downloading a copy to your local machine so you can work on it. This is useful not just for your own work but also for downloading others' projects.

How-To:

git clone <repository-url>

Already Have Local Work? Link it:

git remote add origin <repository-url>

Tip: You can add multiple remotes to push to different repositories. For instance:

git remote add upstream <another-repo-url>

3️⃣ 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 Pushing uploads your local commits to the remote repository so others can see and work with your changes.

How-To:

git push origin <branch-name>

Set up upstream tracking to simplify future pushes (tip):

git push --set-upstream origin <branch-name>

4️⃣ 𝗣𝘂𝗹𝗹, 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲, 𝗙𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 Even experienced devs sometimes mix these up. Here’s a quick breakdown to make it clear:

𝗙𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵: Downloads changes from the remote repository but doesn’t apply them to your work.

When to Use: Check for updates without changing your current work. It’s like asking "What’s new?" without taking action.

git fetch origin

Advanced Tip: Use command below to fetch updates from all of the remote branches

git fetch --all

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲: Combines your changes with someone else's. More about branching on later posts.

When to Use: Combine work from different branches, like merging a feature branch into main.

git merge <branch-name>

Advanced Tip: For more rebasing type of guys use git merge --no-ff to ensure a merge commit is created, preserving branch history.

𝗣𝘂𝗹𝗹: Combines fetch and merge in one step. It downloads changes and merges them into your current branch.

When to Use: Bring in remote changes when you're ready to update your current branch. Be ready to handle merge conflicts if they arise.

git pull origin <branch-name>

Advanced Tip: Use git pull --rebase to reapply your changes on top of the fetched branch, maintaining a cleaner history.