Essential Git and GitHub commands for professional developers.
Git is the technology. It is a version control software, which means it helps you manage and track changes in your files over time. When you're building a project, you constantly edit, delete, and add code. Git records those changes in “commits,” which are like saved checkpoints. If you make a mistake, you can go back to an earlier version of your project instead of starting over. You can download Git directly on your computer and it works locally, not requiring the internet. Git lets you create branches, which are separate versions of your project where you can test new ideas safely. Later, you can merge those changes back into your main project.
GitHub is the platform. It is an online platform that hosts Git repositories in the cloud. While Git works locally on your computer to track changes and manage versions of your code, GitHub allows you to store those Git projects online so you can access them from anywhere and collaborate with others. With GitHub, you can push your local Git commits to a remote repository, share your code, work with teammates, review changes, and manage projects. It adds collaboration features like pull requests, issue tracking, and project boards, but underneath it all, it uses Git to handle the version control.