A Beginner's Guide to Git : Understanding Version Control

Bancy Njeru — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:07:13 +0000

When you first hear about Git, it sounds intimidating, but once you understand why Git exists and how the basic commands work, everything starts to make sense.

This article will walk you through:

What version control is (in layman’s language)
How Git tracks changes
How to push and pull code
The most common Git commands

What Is Version Control?

Remember working on assignments and saving your file as:

project_final.docx
project_final_v2.docx
project_final_really_final.docx

Now imagine doing this with code, across months or years, with several people.

That’s where version control comes in.

Version control helps you:

Track changes over time
Go back to older versions if something breaks
Collaborate with others without tampering with each other’s work
Know who changed what and when

Git is the most popular version control system.

What Is Git?

Git is a tool that:

Runs on your computer
Tracks changes in your project files
Lets you save “snapshots” of your work
Connects your local project to online platforms like GitHub or GitLab

Key Git Concepts

1. Repository (Repo)

A repository is your project folder that Git is tracking.

Local repository → on your computer
Remote repository → online (e.g. GitHub)

2. Working Directory

This is where you write and edit your code.

Changes exist here but they are not saved yet

3. Staging

Before saving changes, Git asks:

“Which changes do you want to include?”

The staging area is where you prepare changes before saving them.

4. Commit

A commit is a saved snapshot of your project.

Each commit:

Has an ID (identifier)
Has a description of the change
Can be restored later

Installing Git

Check if Git is installed:

git --version

If not:

Linux

sudo apt install git

macOS

brew install git

Windows

Download from https://git-scm.com

Starting a Git Project

Initialize Git

Inside your project folder:

git init

This tells Git to start tracking your project.

Check Repository Status

git status

This command shows:

Modified files
Staged files
What Git is waiting for

Tracking Changes in Git 📝

Step 1: Make Changes

Edit or create a file:

project1.py

Git detects the change but hasn’t saved it yet.

Step 2: Stage Changes

git add project1.py

Or stage all changes:

git add .

Step 3: Commit Changes

git commit -m "Add python file"

This saves a snapshot of your work.

💡 Tip: Write commit messages as clear explanations for humans.

Understanding Push and Pull 🔄

Local vs Remote Repositories

Local → your computer
Remote → GitHub / GitLab

Pushing Code (Upload Your Work)

Push sends your commits to the remote repository:

git push origin main

After pushing:

Your code is online
Others can access it
Your work is backed up

Pulling Code (Download Updates)

Pull gets the latest changes from the remote repository:

git pull origin main

You should pull everytime before starting work

A Typical Git Workflow 🔁

git pull
# make changes
git status
git add .
git commit -m "Describe what you changed"
git push

This is the basic Git loop you'll use daily.

Viewing Change History

git log

This shows:

Commit history
Authors
Timestamps
Commit messages

Final Thoughts 🌱

Git might feel overwhelming at first, but you get a hold of it.

Focus on these commands:

git status
git add
git commit
git push
git pull

With practice, you'll become a Git Guru.

Happy coding! 🚀

Forem: Bancy Njeru