Introduction to Git, GitHub & GitLab

Git is a distributed version control system used to track code changes and collaborate efficiently. GitHub and GitLab are popular platforms built on Git that help teams manage repositories, collaborate, and deploy applications.

Together, Git, GitHub, and GitLab form the backbone of modern software development workflows.

What is Git?

Git is a version control system that helps developers manage source code history.

🔸 Distributed version control system
🔸 Tracks file changes
🔸 Enables team collaboration
🔸 Supports branching and merging
🔸 Works offline

Why Use Git?

Git simplifies code management and teamwork.

🔸 Maintains complete code history
🔸 Easy rollback to previous versions
🔸 Parallel development with branches
🔸 Improves team collaboration
🔸 Industry standard tool

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a cloud-based platform for hosting Git repositories and collaborating on projects.

🔸 Repository hosting
🔸 Pull requests & code reviews
🔸 Issue tracking
🔸 Actions for CI/CD
🔸 Large open-source community

What is GitLab?

GitLab is a DevOps platform that provides Git repository management with built-in CI/CD.

🔸 Repository hosting
🔸 Integrated CI/CD pipelines
🔸 Issue & project management
🔸 Self-hosted and cloud options
🔸 DevOps-focused workflows

Git vs GitHub vs GitLab

Understanding their roles avoids confusion.

🔸 Git – version control tool
🔸 GitHub – collaboration & hosting platform
🔸 GitLab – DevOps & CI/CD platform
🔸 Git works locally, GitHub/GitLab work online

Basic Git Workflow

Git follows a simple and structured workflow.

🔸 Working directory
🔸 Staging area
🔸 Local repository
🔸 Remote repository

Commonly Used Git Commands

Git provides powerful commands for daily use.

🔸 git init – initialize repository
🔸 git clone – copy remote repo
🔸 git status – check file status
🔸 git add – stage changes
🔸 git commit – save changes
🔸 git push – upload changes
🔸 git pull – fetch updates

Branching and Merging

Branching allows parallel development.

🔸 Create feature branches
🔸 Merge changes safely
🔸 Resolve conflicts
🔸 Follow Git Flow practices

Pull Requests & Merge Requests

Code review is essential for quality.

🔸 Pull Requests (GitHub)
🔸 Merge Requests (GitLab)
🔸 Code review process
🔸 Approval workflows

Collaboration Using Git

Git enables smooth team collaboration.

🔸 Multiple developers working together
🔸 Conflict resolution
🔸 Version tracking
🔸 Team productivity

CI/CD with GitHub & GitLab

Automation improves delivery speed.

🔸 GitHub Actions
🔸 GitLab CI/CD pipelines
🔸 Automated testing
🔸 Continuous deployment

Security & Access Control

Protecting code is critical.

🔸 Repository access control
🔸 SSH keys
🔸 Branch protection rules
🔸 Role-based permissions

Best Practices for Git Usage

🔸 Meaningful commit messages
🔸 Small and frequent commits
🔸 Use branches effectively
🔸 Regularly pull latest changes

Advantages of Git & Git Platforms

🔸 Reliable version control
🔸 Scalable collaboration
🔸 DevOps integration
🔸 Industry-wide adoption