Command Line Git - Everything you need to know to get started

This book explains how to use Git from command line on Windows, Mac OS and Linux

Small startups and big companies use Git in their workflows:

• to deploy projects
• to collaborate
• to find and fix bugs
• to backup code

There is simply no way around it if you are a Software Developer.

The problem is it can be very confusing.

• Git has many commands each with its own set of options.
  • Commands can behave differently depending on their options.

• The command line interface has no visual guidance.
  • You have to use your imagination to understand what is going on.

• The concepts used by Git: diff, staging, commits, branches, remotes, etc.
  • It is not always clear what they mean and how they work.

If you get stuck with Git and search for help – you’ll find two kinds of resources:

• Specific recipes that you have to follow blindly
• Reference manuals full of complex terminology and technical details

This book is different
It is a guide that will help you understand how Git works.
It is designed to give you the necessary knowledge to get started without overwhelming you with too much information.

Key Features

• Mental Models – analogies and visualizations to help you understand how Git works.
• Illustrations – the book has illustrations that will help you understand the concepts better and make them more memorable.
• Exercises – each chapter has exercises that will help you understand and remember the concepts better. They will also help you develop the muscle memory for the commands.
• Example Repositories – most exercises have example repositories that you can use to experiment with Git. This will be very useful even after you finish the book. You will be able to use them as testing grounds if you got stuck with a problem in your project.

How This Book Helps

First it goes over a typical workflow explaining what happens at each step.
Then it goes over the most important commands and concepts.
To help you understand and remember the concepts, the book uses analogies and visualizations.
In the end of each chapter there are exercises that use example repositories.
These exercises will help you understand and remember the concepts better.
The example repositories that come with the exercises also serve as laboratories where you can experiment with Git.
This will be very useful even after you finish the book. You will be able to use them as testing grounds if you got stuck with a problem in your project.