CSCI 3081W: Version Control Systems & Git Lecture 2

Version Control System (VCS)

A system to keep track and manage multiple versions of the same unit of information.

Benefits of using a VCS

Enforces discipline, archives versions, maintains history, enables collaboration, and saves disk space.

VCS Don'ts

Do not store derived files (like executables), large files, or local copies of the repository.

Repository

A collection of all the files and the history of changes made to those files.

Add (VCS)

The action of including files in the repository.

Commit (VCS)

The action of including changes to a file in the repository.

Centralized VCS

A system with a single centralized repository to which all users commit their files directly.

Distributed VCS

A system where all users have a local repository before pushing changes to a central repository.

Git Creator

Created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to aid in Linux kernel development.

Snapshot (Git)

A record of how all files look at a given point in time.

Components of a Git Commit

File changes, a reference to the parent commit, and a hash identifier.

Cloning (Git)

The act of copying a repository from a remote server to your local machine.

Pulling (Git)

The process of downloading new commits from a remote repository onto your machine.

Pushing (Git)

The process of adding your local commits to the remote repository.

Branch (Git)

A parallel line of development; the default main branch on GitHub is called main.

Four Git Working Areas

Working directory, staging area, local repository, and remote repository.

git pull

A command that performs both a git fetch and a git merge.

HEAD (Git)

The symbolic name for the currently checked-out commit you are working on.

Merge Conflict

Occurs when two commits modify the same line in the same file, requiring manual resolution.

.gitignore

A file used to list files that should not be tracked or added to the repository.