Learn Git
New to Git? Start here. Every idea — commits, branches, push, pull, pull requests, merging — explained simply, with everyday examples for students and new engineers.
What is Git?
Git is a tool that remembers every version of your project, so you never lose work and can always see who changed what, and why.
What is a repository?
A repository — everyone says "repo" — is a project folder that Git is watching. It holds your files *and* the full history of every change ever made to them.
Commits: saving your work
A commit is a snapshot of your project at one moment, with a short note explaining what changed. It's the single most important idea in Git.
Branches: working without fear
A branch is a separate line of work. It lets you build a new feature or try an idea without disturbing the working version of the project.
Clone: getting a copy of a project
Cloning means downloading a full copy of a repository — all its files *and* its entire history — from a server onto your laptop, so you can start working on it.
Remotes: the shared copy on the server
A remote is a version of your repository that lives somewhere else — usually on a server like Sangam-Git — that you and your team sync with. It's the common meeting point for everyone's work.
Push and pull: sharing your work
Push sends your commits up to the shared server. Pull brings your teammates' commits down to your laptop. Together they keep everyone's copy in sync.
Pull requests: proposing your changes
A pull request (PR) is how you ask for your branch to be reviewed and added to the main project. It's the front door for every change on a team — a place to show your work, get feedback, and get approval before it becomes official.
Merging: combining two lines of work
Merging takes the commits from one branch and joins them into another. It's how a finished feature branch becomes part of `main`.
Merge conflicts: when Git needs your help
A merge conflict happens when two branches changed the *same lines* of the *same file* in different ways. Git can combine most changes on its own, but when two edits clash, it stops and asks a human to decide. That human is you — and it's easier than it looks.
Rebase vs merge: two ways to combine work
Merge and rebase both bring one branch's changes into another. The difference is what they do to your project's history: merge *joins* the two timelines; rebase *replays* your commits on top of the other branch to make one straight line. Beginners can happily use merge and ignore rebase for a while — but here's what rebase is, so it stops being mysterious.
Putting it together: a day on a team
You've met all the pieces — repo, commit, branch, clone, push, pull, pull request, merge. Here's how they fit into one normal working day at a software team. Follow this rhythm and you'll look like you've done it for years.