Git
Also known as: Git version control
Git is free, open-source version control software that tracks changes to files, especially source code.
Every developer keeps a full copy of a project's history, can create branches to work on features separately, and merges changes back together. Git powers platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. While Git is essential for software teams, its commands and concepts have a famously steep learning curve.
Git, explained at three levels
At home
Git is like a time machine for a project folder. You save snapshots called commits, and you can always travel back to any one of them.
At work
Git lets developers work on the same software at once without overwriting each other's work.
At home
Basic Git commands include 'git add' to stage changes, 'git commit' to save a snapshot, and 'git push' to upload to a service like GitHub.
At work
Git is distributed, so every clone has full history. Teams use branching strategies such as trunk-based development, with pull requests for review before merging into main.
At home
Graphical tools such as GitHub Desktop and Visual Studio Code's Git features make Git easier. In my opinion, start with those, then learn commands as needed.
At work
Sign commits, protect branches, enforce reviews, scan for secrets before pushing, and avoid rewriting shared history. Remember that deleted secrets remain in Git history until it's rewritten and the secret is rotated.
Real-world examples
At home
Thomas uses Git for a hobby app. When a new feature broke everything, he switched back to his main branch and kept working.
At work
Aisha manages developers at a Vancouver fintech startup. She required signed commits and branch protection in Git to prevent unreviewed code reaching production.
How it compares
| feature | Git | GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Version control software | Online hosting platform for Git |
| Runs | On your computer | In the cloud |
| Made by | Open-source community | Microsoft-owned company |
| Adds | History, branches, merges | Reviews, issues, automation |
Git is the tool. GitHub is a place to host and share it.
For analysts
When onboarding non-developers into technical projects, I'd teach a few Git basics. Understanding branches and commits makes release conversations much clearer.
History & origin
Linus Torvalds wrote Git in April 2005 for Linux kernel development, after the company behind BitKeeper, the proprietary tool the project used, withdrew its free licence. Torvalds built the first version in days, and Junio Hamano became Git's long-time maintainer that July. GitHub launched in 2008, making Git social and easy to share, and Microsoft bought GitHub for $7.5 billion US in 2018. By the 2020s, Git was used by the vast majority of developers, and GitHub reported well over 100 million users. In my view, Git's design was brilliant, but its usability is a reminder that tools built by experts for experts can still take over the world.