On the way to developing any application, you are indeed supposed to work in a team. Someone will look after the coding part, some the designing, and some will carry on with the task of testing followed by analysis.
Generally, HTML along with CSS and JavaScript is used at the time of developing a website. Whether you are on the way to developing a static or dynamic website, it is high time to make generous use of Git and Github in practice.
Are you not aware of Git? No problem! Here it is……
What is the Concept of Git all about?
Git refers to a version control tool that permits the developers to carry on with their same projects. Some of the most remarkable advantages include that the coders will be able to utilize the following perks:
- Modify the code according to the requirement
- Track modifications that took place in the code
- Ability to return to a previous version, if needed
All these features enable easy development of some of the new features related to web development in an easy go.
Are Git and Github the Same?
Some people confuse Git and Github. They consider both to be equal, which is not at all a fact. Github is a special version of management web service and is one of the biggest hosts for source codes. Additional services involve in performing the same activities include Gitlab and Bitbucket.
The differences that exist between Git and Github have been mentioned in a nutshell:
Tracking and sharing —
Git refers to a special type of source control system that permits the users to track the versions of work carried on under project containers. Github refers to a remote hosting system that is used for sharing repositories.
Independent usage —
Git can be used independently on a local machine. It can also be used for collaborating directly with other users without the use of any type of shared-hosted system. Github is visible only to those users that have been granted access to the system.
Saving and merging —
Git can be easily used by the developers to track and save changes related to work. Whereas, Github may be utilized easily to merge the works of every developer into a specific project. As a developer, you will be in a position to copy and push code to the Github repo from your local copy.
While working on the project, you will come across a specific terminology that is none other than “pull request”. It is issued by a particular type of developer wishing to have merged their changes along with the main branch.
This is performed after successful modification of the branch has been pushed to Github. It is a special type of request made to the administrator of the repository for proper reviewing of the branch. It also helps in determining whether the request must be accepted or declined.
What are Some Most Commonly Used Terminologies in Git?
There are some most common terminologies used in Git. Those have been mentioned in a nutshell:
- Master — Master refers to a branch name. It is the first branch that gets created at the time of the creation of a repo on Github.
- Origin — It is a reference to a repository that gets created with the help of a local branch.
- Remote — Remote refers to a repo on some other type of computer system that includes Github. It is configured in a hidden file, i.e., .git/config file.
After you have become familiar with these terminologies, carrying out work with Git will become much easier.
What are the Types of Branches Associated with Git?
On the way to work in Git, you will be coming across three different types of branches. Those branches are inclusive of the following varieties:
- Master branch
- Staging branch
- Feature branch
There exists only a specific type of master and staging branch in the Git workflow. The staging branch is sometimes also known by the name of the development or development branch. The feature branches may also be called by whatever your team aligns on in terms of naming convention. Some of the most commonly used names include the following:
- Feat/user-authentication
- Fix/landing-page transition
Feature branches are used not only for the development of features but also for fixing bugs and other problems. These branches refer to the place where every type of implementation takes place.
Staging as well as master branches are utilized only at the time of the release of the application.
What Are Some Effective Git Collaboration Strategies?
Git helps let ease the management of the software development process. If you are looking forward to working much more effectively in a team, then it is high time to follow some of the best practices. Those highly effective Git collaboration strategies include the following:
Formalization of Git conventions for the team —
It is nowadays becoming essential to follow standard conventions regarding the naming of the branch along with coding and tagging. Every organization follows some of the best practices. While searching online, you will come across a wide range of recommendations on the internet. Picking a suitable convention at an early stage will help the entire team. The creation and maintenance of a basic set of instructions for performing some of the most common Git operations will help.
Merging of the changes properly —
Every member of the team must work on a separate branch. But there are times when some of the common files get modified even after using separate branches. Human intervention may be required for the reconciliation of different changes that have been done by two different authors on the same file. The merging may not always be possible automatically due to which human effort is required. Modern editors are inclusive of features that assist in dealing with the conflicts related to Git merge. As you will come across a wide range of options regarding merging every part of the file, it will become easy to carry on with the project smoothly.
Rebasing of feature branches quite often —
On the way to developing the feature branch, it is essential to rebase the same against the master branch often. You may come across some difficulties that may result in resolving every problem again from the beginning. Once you are done with fixing all the conflicts followed by performing regression testing, you will be able to perform the merging operation. In case someone else tries to push the changes to master that conflict with that of yours, then the Git merge may have conflicts again.
Squashing of commitment before merging —
At the time of working on the featured branch, it will be a good idea to add a commitment for causing any type of minor changes. If every feature branch produces fifty commits, the resulting number of commits in the master branch may grow unnecessarily. Generally, there should be one or a few commits that may be added to the master from each feature branch. For achieving the same, squash multiple commits to one or a handful of commits with some elaborative messages.
Using of tags —
Once successfully done with the testing and ready to move ahead for the deployment of the software from the master branch, then better create a Git tag. It will also help in the preservation of the current state as a significant milestone for one reason or the other.
A branch is recognized for the accumulation of the history related to changes that correspond to commits. Whereas, a tag refers to a snapshot of the state of the branch at that instant! A tag can be considered to be a branch comprising less history. Git is known for providing a unique identifier for any type of coding milestone.
In maximum embedded projects, the binary file that is created from particular software comprises a fixed name. The Git tag corresponds to the software binary file and can be hardly inferred from the filename.
Why it is Useful to Embed the Tag into the Software?
It is very much useful to embed a tag into the software that has been built. It will help in correlating any type of issues in the future to give a build precisely. The embedding of the tag can be easily automated within the building process.
In a typical manner, the Git tag is inserted into the code before compilation. It will help in the easy printing of the tag string at the time of booting up. The moment a customer reports any issues, a guide will be sent in the form of a copy.
Overall, Git is a highly sophisticated tool that will take years to master. Making use of such practices will help the teams to collaborate successfully with the help of Git. Carrying out the procedure of branching followed by merging will help in making this system work smoothly.
It will help in making the developers feel comfortable along with the workflow. Also, none of the branches will go too far out of line with the other.