Git Wizardry I: Spells don’t come easy

Many developers (most of them, I would say) start using Git without understanding the very basics. They come from other version control systems (usually non-distributed) so after all, they think, it’s something they’ve already done in the past. Getting changes from other developers and adding their own changes. It can’t be that difficult, right?

This xkcd comic is funny because it’s true

This comic made me think. Developers memorize those shell commands (or the equivalent options in their GUI client) but don’t try to understand what’s going on under the hood. They use Git as a magic wand, but without knowing the spells. They just wave it and hope for the best.

Well, it is not that difficult. It just takes a little learning. Once you’re an experienced wizard, spells come naturally. But until then, you have to be very careful, or…

In the following posts, I will try to explain some basic notions about Git wizardry.

Git Wizardry
I: Spells don’t come easy
II: Choosing the right wand
III: The marauder’s graph
IV: Working directories and where to find them
V: The three realms