Git and GitHub: Version Control Basics

Every developer needs version control. Git is the system; GitHub is a hosting service. I made the mistake early on of just saving files with names like 'final_version_v2_final.js'. Git solves this. The basic workflow: git init initializes a repo. git add . stages your changes. git commit -m 'message' takes a snapshot. This allows you to revert to any previous snapshot. Branches are a superpower—they let you work on new features without breaking the main codebase. git checkout -b new-feature creates a branch. When you're done, you merge it back. Git feels abstract at first, but I recommend visualizing it. Look at a GUI tool like GitKraken or even the GitHub Desktop app to see the commit graph. Understanding how to commit, push, and pull from a remote repository is the minimum requirement for collaborating on any modern project.