Introduction to Git & GitHub

Welcome to the complete guide to Git and GitHub! This documentation will take you from beginner to proficient in version control and collaborative development.

Installation & Setup - Get Git installed and configured
Repository Basics - Create and manage repositories
Cloning & Remote Work - Work with remote repositories
Branching & Merging - Manage parallel development
Pull Requests & Forks - Contribute to projects
Advanced Topics - GitHub features, Actions, and more

What is Git?

Git is a distributed version control system (VCS) that revolutionizes how developers track and manage code changes.

Core Capabilities

Version Tracking: Save snapshots of your project at different points in time
Change History: See exactly what changed, when, and by whom
Branching: Work on multiple features simultaneously without conflicts
Collaboration: Multiple developers can work on the same project seamlessly
Backup & Recovery: Never lose work with distributed backups

💡 Think of Git as a "time machine + collaboration tool" for your code

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a cloud-based platform that hosts Git repositories and adds powerful collaboration features.

Key Features

Repository Hosting: Store your code in the cloud
Collaboration Tools: Pull Requests, Issues, Project Boards
Code Review: Review and discuss changes before merging
CI/CD: Automate testing and deployment with GitHub Actions
Community: Contribute to millions of open-source projects
Documentation: Wikis, GitHub Pages for project websites

Git vs GitHub: Understanding the Difference

Aspect	Git	GitHub
Type	Command-line tool	Web-based platform
Location	Local computer	Cloud-hosted
Internet	Works offline	Requires internet for sync
Purpose	Version control & history	Hosting + collaboration
Features	Branching, merging, commits	Issues, PRs, Actions, Pages
Cost	Free and open-source	Free tier + paid plans