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Git Introduction

Git is an open source distributed version control system, originally developed by Linus Torvalds in 2005. Its main purpose is to manage source code version changes, helping developers to better collaborate and track historical changes during software development. Git's design philosophy emphasizes speed, data integrity, and support for distributed non-linear workflows, which makes it widely used in modern software development.

The core features of Git include:

  1. Distributed version control: Unlike traditional centralized version control systems, Git is a distributed system. The historical version of the project can be fully stored on each developer's workstation, which enables team members to develop without a network connection.

  2. Efficient data storage: Git uses a data storage method called "snapshot", and each commit saves the current file status instead of simply recording the difference of the change. This method enables Git to manage large-scale projects quickly and efficiently.

  3. Powerful branch management: Git's branch creation and management is very easy, allowing developers to work independently on different branches without affecting the trunk code. Developers can create, switch and merge branches at any time, supporting multiple workflows and development modes.

  4. Data integrity: Git ensures data integrity by using the SHA-1 hash algorithm. Each commit generates a unique hash value to ensure that the historical version of the code has not been tampered with.

  5. Support for multiple workflows: Git provides flexible workflow support, and developers can choose different development modes according to the needs of the project, such as Git Flow, GitHub Flow, etc. This makes Git suitable for projects and teams of all sizes.

  6. Integration with GitHub and GitLab: Git is tightly integrated with various code hosting platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making team collaboration, code review, and continuous integration more convenient.

  7. Extensive community support: Git has an active community, and developers can get support through documents, tutorials, and online forums, which has promoted its rapid development and popularity.