Creating a branch in Git
Entrepreneur, Founder, Mentor. Also runs a Registered NGO. Visit my website: sandeepgokhale.com
The fear of git
Often times, Students/job seekers find git a overwhelming. I'm not sure if its the command line, all existing tutorials are complicated or not able to try and learn.
The importance of Git
Git is a fundamental tool which every aspiring engineer need to know and use daily. It is a widely used distributed version control system. Its open source and free. Git is designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency.
Having basic knowledge of git is vital for freshers. Once you understand the basics, it becomes an incredibly powerful tool in your toolkit and its a skill you will use daily for a good foreseeable future.
Why should freshers/job seekers learn git ?
Once you join a company, most likely you will not be working alone in the code, There will be existing team members and also new joiners who would also work on the code. As a fresher, you will have collaborate with other developers and ensure everything goes smooth.
What could go wrong if you don't know git well?
Incorrect use of git could lead to:
Rework.
Overwriting changes of others.
Slowness of delivery.
Unhappy teammates/clients
Loss to business.
Enough said, let's move on.
Key features of Git
Below are some major features of git compared to other version control systems.
Its Distributed
Supports Branching & Merging
Data Assurance
Of course, Version Control
Has a staging Area and many more.
Branching
One of the features of git is branching. A branch is nothing but a light weight movable pointer which points to a "snapshot" of code. From this branch, we can create another branch by giving it a name.
Some important commands
git branch -a // List of branches.
git fetch origin // updates your remote-tracking branches, but does not merge or change local branches.
git branch -a // See the updated list of branches
git switch <base-branch-name>
// Switch to the local base branch (e.g., develop)
// If it doesn’t exist locally yet, you’d do:
// git switch -c <base-branch-name> origin/<base-branch-name>
git pull origin <base-branch-name>
// Get latest changes from remote branch into your local base branch
git switch -c mew-branch-name
// Create a new local branch from the updated base branch
Here is how I create a branch
Consider a scenario where I have to create a feature branch (A branch where a new feature would go) from develop (base branch) branch. Here is how I do it
git status // Just to make sure I do not have any changes
git checkout develop // Since I've already pulled it once
git pull origin develop // get the latest code from remote. Do this always
git switch -c FEATURE_BRANCH origin/develop
// That is it. now, ill work on FEATURE_BRANCH and make the changes and push and get the PR reviewed
Pull Request
After my changes are done and the feature is working (Automated Unit & Integration Tests), I raise a PR. A Pull Request.
So, A Pull Request (PR) is a way for developers to propose changes to a codebase to ensure the code changes work correctly without causing issues. You can read more about how to create a PR effective in this blog.
Let's Connect
Hi, I’m Sandeep Gokhale, and I'm passionate about building high-performing teams at my company, Techvito and I write about Technology, People, Processes and some more fun stuff.
One of my life’s missions is to do whatever it takes to build world-class products and deliver exceptional client outcomes.
In case you're looking out for a technology partner to accelerate your business goals with clarity, speed, and quality & security, my team and I are here and more than ready to help you make it happen.
