This comprehensive roadmap provides a structured approach to mastering Git version control. The curriculum is designed sequentially, with each module building upon previous knowledge to ensure a solid foundation in version control practices.
flowchart TD
A[Start Git Journey] --> B[Fundamentals<br>Weeks 1-2]
B --> C[Branching & Merging<br>Weeks 3-4]
C --> D[Collaboration<br>Weeks 5-6]
D --> E[Advanced Git<br>Weeks 7-8]
E --> F[Workflows & CI/CD<br>Week 9+]
B --> B1[Concepts & Setup]
B1 --> B2[Basic Commands]
B2 --> B3[Staging & Committing]
B3 --> B4[History & Logs]
C --> C1[Branch Creation]
C1 --> C2[Merging Strategies]
C2 --> C3[Rebase vs Merge]
C3 --> C4[Conflict Resolution]
D --> D1[Remote Repositories]
D1 --> D2[Push/Pull/Fetch]
D2 --> D3[Collaborative Work]
D3 --> D4[Pull Requests]
E --> E1[Undoing Changes]
E1 --> E2[Stashing]
E2 --> E3[Hooks]
E3 --> E4[Advanced Tools]
F --> F1[GitFlow]
F1 --> F2[GitHub Actions]
F2 --> F3[CI/CD Integration]
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Module 1: Introduction to Version Control
- What is Version Control and why it's essential
- Centralized vs Distributed Version Control Systems
- Git history and design philosophy
- Common Git workflows and use cases
- Installing Git on different operating systems
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Module 2: Git Configuration & Setup
- First-time Git setup:
git config - User configuration: name, email, and editor settings
- Global vs Local configuration levels
- SSH key generation and authentication setup
- Basic Git help and command documentation
- First-time Git setup:
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Module 3: Creating Repositories & Basic Commands
- Initializing a new repository:
git init - Cloning existing repositories:
git clone - Repository structure: working directory, staging area, repository
- Git file lifecycle: untracked, modified, staged, committed
- Checking repository status:
git status
- Initializing a new repository:
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Module 4: Staging and Committing Changes
- Staging files:
git add(specific files, directories, all changes) - Committing changes:
git commitwith meaningful messages - Commit best practices: atomic commits and message conventions
- Skipping the staging area:
git commit -a - Viewing commit history:
git logwith various options
- Staging files:
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Module 5: Branching Fundamentals
- What are branches and why use them?
- Creating and switching branches:
git branch,git checkout - Modern branch switching:
git switchandgit restore - Listing and deleting branches
- Understanding HEAD pointer and branch references
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- Fast-forward merges vs three-way merges
- Performing merges:
git merge - Merge commit messages and conflict indicators
- Best practices for merging branches
- Checking differences between branches:
git diff
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- Understanding rebase vs merge differences
- Interactive rebasing:
git rebase -i - Rebasing workflow and when to use it
- Squashing commits with rebase
- Dangers and benefits of rebasing
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- Understanding merge conflicts and their causes
- Conflict markers and how to read them
- Resolving conflicts manually
- Using merge tools for conflict resolution
- Aborting merges and rebases when needed
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Module 9: Working with Remote Repositories
- Adding remote repositories:
git remote add - Viewing and managing remotes:
git remote -v - Pushing to remotes:
git push - Fetching from remotes:
git fetch - Pulling changes:
git pulland its components
- Adding remote repositories:
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Module 10: Collaborative Workflows
- Forking workflow vs feature branch workflow
- Creating and managing pull requests/merge requests
- Code review practices with Git
- Managing multiple remotes (origin, upstream)
- Syncing forked repositories
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- Creating lightweight tags:
git tag - Creating annotated tags:
git tag -a - Pushing tags to remote:
git push --tags - Using tags for versioning and releases
- Checking out specific tags
- Creating lightweight tags:
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Module 12: GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket Platforms
- Creating repositories on hosting platforms
- README files, .gitignore, and license files
- Using issues and project boards
- Wiki and documentation features
- Social coding aspects: starring, watching, forking
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- Unstaging files:
git reset,git restore --staged - Discarding working directory changes:
git checkout --,git restore - Amending commits:
git commit --amend - Reverting commits:
git revert(safe method) - Resetting commits:
git reset(soft, mixed, hard)
- Unstaging files:
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Module 14: Stashing and Cleaning
- Stashing changes:
git stashandgit stash push - Applying and popping stashes
- Managing multiple stashes
- Stashing untracked files and using options
- Cleaning working directory:
git clean
- Stashing changes:
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- Understanding Git hooks and their types
- Client-side hooks: pre-commit, prepare-commit-msg
- Server-side hooks: pre-receive, update
- Creating custom hooks
- Hook management and best practices
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Module 16: Advanced Tools & Techniques
- Interactive staging:
git add -p - Bisecting to find bugs:
git bisect - Worktree for multiple working directories
- Submodules for including other repositories
- Cherry-picking specific commits
- Interactive staging:
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Module 17: Git Workflow Strategies
- GitFlow Workflow: feature, release, hotfix branches
- Trunk-Based Development: short-lived feature branches
- Forking Workflow: open source collaboration model
- Feature Branch Workflow: team collaboration standard
- Choosing the right workflow for your project
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Module 18: .gitignore Patterns
- Purpose of .gitignore files
- Global vs local .gitignore
- Pattern matching syntax and examples
- Common patterns for different languages/frameworks
- Ignoring already tracked files
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- GitHub Actions workflows
- GitLab CI/CD pipelines
- Automated testing with Git hooks
- Deployment strategies with Git
- Quality gates and automated checks
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Module 20: Enterprise Git Practices
- Branch protection rules
- Code ownership and review requirements
- Signed commits and verification
- Audit trails and compliance
- Backup strategies and disaster recovery
git init # Initialize new repository
git clone <url> # Clone existing repository
git status # Check repository status
git add <file> # Stage specific file
git add . # Stage all changes
git commit -m "message" # Commit staged changes
git log # View commit historygit branch # List branches
git branch <name> # Create new branch
git checkout <branch> # Switch to branch
git switch <branch> # Modern branch switching
git merge <branch> # Merge branch into current
git rebase <branch> # Rebase current branch onto targetgit remote add origin <url> # Add remote repository
git push -u origin main # Push to remote and set upstream
git pull origin main # Pull changes from remote
git fetch origin # Fetch changes without merginggit restore <file> # Discard working directory changes
git restore --staged <file> # Unstage file
git commit --amend # Amend last commit
git reset --hard HEAD # Reset to last commit (dangerous)
git revert <commit> # Create undo commit- Pro Git Book - Comprehensive free book
- Git Official Documentation - Command reference
- GitHub Guides - Platform-specific guides
- Learn Git Branching - Visual branch learning
- GitKat - Git practice exercises
- Codecademy Git Course
- GitHub Skills - Interactive GitHub learning
- GitLab Tutorials - GitLab specific
- Atlassian Git Tutorials
Remember: Git proficiency comes from regular practice. Start with personal projects, contribute to open source, and gradually incorporate advanced workflows into your daily development process!