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Interactive Git Learning

Before diving into command-line Git, it's helpful to understand how Git works conceptually. The best way to learn this is through visual, interactive exercises.

Learn Git Branching

learngitbranching.js.org is an excellent interactive tutorial that teaches Git concepts through visual exercises.

Why Start Here?

  • Visual Learning: See exactly what happens when you run Git commands
  • Hands-on Practice: Try commands in a safe, interactive environment
  • Conceptual Understanding: Learn how commits, branches, and merges work
  • No Setup Required: Works directly in your web browser

What You'll Learn

The interactive tutorial covers:

  1. Basic Git Commands - commit, branch, merge
  2. Branching Concepts - How branches work and why they're useful
  3. Merging Strategies - Different ways to combine changes
  4. Remote Repositories - Working with code stored on other computers

Complete these lessons from the interactive tutorial:

Introduction Sequence

  1. Introduction to Git Commits - Understanding what a commit is
  2. Branching in Git - Creating and switching between branches
  3. Merging in Git - Combining changes from different branches
  4. Rebase Introduction - An alternative to merging

Remote Repositories

  1. Clone Intro - Copying repositories from remote servers
  2. Remote Branches - Understanding how remote tracking works
  3. Git Fetch - Downloading changes without applying them
  4. Git Pull - Downloading and applying changes

Time Investment

Plan to spend about 30-60 minutes working through these exercises. Take your time and don't worry if some concepts don't click immediately - you'll practice them with real commands in the next lessons.

Getting Started

  1. Visit learngitbranching.js.org
  2. Click "Start" to begin the tutorial
  3. Work through the Introduction Sequence lessons
  4. Continue with the Remote Repository lessons
  5. Feel free to explore additional lessons if you're curious!

Key Concepts to Remember

After completing the interactive tutorial, you should understand:

  • Commits: Snapshots of your code at specific points in time
  • Branches: Independent lines of development
  • Merging: Combining changes from different branches
  • Remote Repositories: Code stored on other computers (like GitHub)

What's Next?

Once you've completed the interactive tutorial and feel comfortable with these concepts, you're ready to start using Git from the command line.

Next: Staging and Commits →

Additional Resources