How to Learn Git in 2024: A Complete Guide for Beginners

Why Is Learning Git so Useful?

Git has become a must-have skill set in today's job market, essential for anyone serious about getting into tech. 

To help you get a better understanding of where it can be used, I’ve discussed its applications in various industries and how learning it can help you land high-paying jobs: 

Git has a variety of applications 

Git has become invaluable in multiple industries beyond traditional software development. Let’s look at these varied applications:

• Research and data science: With Git, you can manage scripts, Jupyter notebooks, and research papers. 
• Web development: You can use it to manage website code, assets, and configurations. It is a key part of development for everyone, from solo developers to large teams. 
• DevOps practices: DevOps teams can also use it to automate and manage their infrastructure with fewer errors in the deployment process. 
• Mobile application development: Tools like GitHub Copilot assist in the mobile app development process. It provides instant code suggestions, fast prototyping, and fewer error chances when you’re working.  
• Machine learning: You can use it in machine learning to version control code, notebooks, and models. 

Git is also fundamental for data careers such as data and machine learning engineering. If you’re interested in pursuing those careers and see where Git fits in the bigger picture, check out our Professional Data Engineer and Machine Learning Fundamentals tracks. 

There is a demand for skills in Git

If you just master basic Git commands, it would be enough to get started in tech. But as your role evolves, honing your existing Git skills to advance further is necessary. 

Over 6,000 job listings on Indeed, from Tableau to C++ developers, highlight the demand for Git expertise. This is how much you can expect to earn in roles that require Git skills: 

• Application Developer: $58,975 - $141,044 per year 
• Controls Engineer: $102K - $150K per year 
• Front End Developer: $42,500 - $155,500 per year 
• Data Scientist: $125K - $203K per year 

How to Learn Git and GitHub from Scratch in 2024

Git and GitHub have completely changed how you work on your code and collaborate on projects. They make things 10x easier for you. But if you're confused about where to start, here's how to go with it: 

1. Understand why you're learning Git

Before you start learning Git, ensure that it's not just about learning to operate a tool but a whole project management approach. It would be best if you also consider your needs and goals. To do so, ask yourself the following questions before you start: 

• How much do I already know about the tool? 
• Do I want to learn the basics, or does my role require a deeper understanding of the tool? 
• Do I want to contribute to open-source projects, collaborate with teams on a complex codebase, or streamline my personal workflow? 

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can structure your learning path better. 

2. Start with the basics of Git and GitHub 

After you identify your goals, master the fundamentals and understand how they work. I’ve highlighted a few basic steps to start with: 

Create a Git repository 

Click “New repository” in the top left corner—image source.

To create a new GitHub repository, click “New Repository” at the top right corner of the page. The git init command can also create a new repository. Take into account that you need to create a GitHub account beforehand.

Record changes to the repository 

Record even the minor changes to ensure you maintain snapshots of the changes. A couple of things GitHub will keep a record of include: 

• Status of your files
• Newly created files
• Stage modified files
• Staged and unstaged changes 

View the commit history 

Since you'll often refer to the saved changes, learning how to view your commit history is important. By doing so, you won’t only know your work progress, but can also see: 

• The person who made the changes 
• The time when changes were made 
• The changes that were made

Now, to do so, use the git log command. 

Undo the stuff 

Git doesn't have the traditional Undo feature to reverse your last action. That’s why it's quite complicated to undo changes in Git, and can result in severe losses. 

So, you first need to review commits and find out what went wrong. For example, you may commit too soon or make a mistake in your commit message. There's also a possibility of accidentally staging a file. Since some actions are irreversible, this skill requires care to master. 

The things you need to learn include: 

• Finding which commit changes you want to revert: git log command can help you. 
• Unstaging a staged file: Use different commands such as git restore  --staged file-to-unstage. 
• Undoing changes with Git restore: git revert, and git reset commands are used for this.  
• Undoing local commits: git reset --hard command allows you to destroy the commits you want and reset them to the previous state. 

Learn how to do tagging 

With tagging, you can mark important points in your project's history, such as release versions. For this purpose, you should learn to use the git tag command to list all the tags, create lightweight and annotated tags, and push the tags to a remote repository. 

3. Master intermediate Git and GitHub skills

When it comes to intermediate Git and GitHub skills, you can never learn enough of them. But I’ve highlighted some of the most important intermediate skills that can add value:

Branching

As a data practitioner, you spend most of your time experimenting and fixing bugs. To do this, you can use Git branching to create a separate development line. These branches represent pointers to snapshots. 

To become more advanced, you must also learn how merging allows you to bring changes from different branches together and integrate new code into the main project. 

Cloning

With cloning, you can create a copy of an existing repository. It's the process of cloning all repository data from GitHub to your local machine. That's an important skill if you want to pull down a copy of your own or someone else's repository. 

Let's compare standard cloning and cloning with submodules: 

Customizing Git

Every company and user has specific needs, so they use Git to adapt accordingly. For this, they use Git customization to integrate it within workflows. But to do so, they need to learn Git configuration and its different commands, which are organized into the following three levels: 

• Local: Repository-specific settings that allow customization per project 
• Global: User-specific settings that apply across all repositories 
• System: Settings that apply to all users on the system 

I’ve also included some commonly used Git configuration commands in the table below to help you master customization: 

4. Learn Git and GitHub by doing

Tutorials alone won't help you understand the full scope of what Git can do. Instead, you should start projects from scratch. Here's how: 

• Participate in interactive sessions to practice Git commands in real time 
• Review existing issues and pull requests on repositories
• Join open-source projects on GitHub

That's how you can build more practical knowledge of Git, which doesn't come from copying exercises from Google. 

5. Build a portfolio of projects

A well-maintained GitHub portfolio can set you apart. It's not only about uploading your source code but also how well you manage projects and make regular commits. You can do this by creating an individual repository for every new project. 

6. Keep challenging yourself

Mastering Git is a lifelong journey. Just as you constantly adapt to new programming languages, it's also important to stay updated with Git's new upgrades. This will help you learn new commands and integrate them into your projects. 

An Example Git and GitHub Learning Plan

If you're starting Git from scratch, follow a learning plan to take manageable steps. I’ve prepared an example learning plan that covers the entire journey to master Git and GitHub: 

Week 1-3: Introduction to version control and Git basics 

• Version control systems: Get familiar with the concept of version control systems (VCS). Understand how Git differs from other VCS, such as Subversion and BitKeeper. Learn about the command-line interface and why it's essential to work with Git. 
• Install and set up Git: Install Git on your system or sign up for GitHub and set up a username, email, and other preferences.
• Basic Git operations: Master the fundamental commands you need to create a new repository. 
• View and undo changes: Learn which commands allow you to view the history of changes and undo mistakes. This will also help you understand how backtracking in a project will benefit you later. 

Week 4-6: Advanced Git features and collaboration 

• Branching and merging: Learn how Git branching lets you work on different features and fixes. Start with the commands to create, manage, and merge branches. Then, move on to practicing resolving conflicts. 
• Remote repositories: To improve collaboration, learn how to work with remote repositories. Understand the concepts of forking, creating pull requests, and code reviews. 
• Tagging and releases: Gain knowledge on Git tags and releases. 
• Rebasing:  Learn to use rebasing to clean up your commit history. 

Week 7 and onwards: Mastering Git and beyond 

• Submodules: Learn how submodules manage your project's dependencies on other Git repositories. To master this, you have to understand suitable commands. 
• Advanced Git configurations: Learn how to customize your Git environment by configuring aliases. 

Best Ways to Learn Git and GitHub

When mastering complex version control systems like Git, you shouldn't rely on one method. It's better to seek help from online tutorials, books, courses, and other learning resources. 

Online courses

DataCamp offers beginner-friendly courses that break down complex Git and GitHub concepts into simple lessons. These courses provide you with knowledge of basic Git introduction and advanced GitHub skills. Once you go through them, you can confidently start any data science project. 

Here are some of my recommendations for you:

• For understanding what’s Git: Introduction to Git Course
• For building your basic concepts: GitHub Concepts Course

Online tutorials

Traditional learning methods such as online tutorials are still widely used and effective in understanding complicated skills like Git and GitHub. At DataCamp, we also have detailed tutorials that provide step-by-step guides on Git and GitHub. 

So, I’ve collected the most relevant tutorials that will help you learn how to install Git, do branch cloning, and some other advanced skills: 

• For installing Git: Git Install Tutorial
• For gaining basic knowledge on GitHub and Git: GitHub and Git Tutorial for Beginners
• For learning how to clone a branch: Git Clone Branch Tutorial
• For understanding how to clone a specific branch: How to Clone a Specific Branch
• For using Git reset and revert commands: Git Reset and Revert Tutorial for Beginners
• For learning commands to merge branches and resolve issues:  How to Resolve Merge Conflicts in Git Tutorial
• For understanding how to perform Git push and pull requests: Git Push and Pull Tutorial 

Git cheat sheets

Who doesn’t love cheat sheets? I mean, they have been my go-to resources for remembering the smallest key terms and commands. That’s why I’d also recommend DataCamp's all-in-one cheat sheet for Git lovers:

• Download DataCamp Git Cheat Sheet

Books

If you think the era of books is long gone, you’re probably wrong because there are many amazing books on Git, and many people prefer learning from books. 

If you’re also a bookworm, you can read these books on Git to become proficient: 

• For basics: Git Pocket Guide: A Working Introduction 
• For Git features: Version Control with Git
• For project management and collaboration: Getting Started with GitHub

Tips for Learning Git and GitHub

These tips will help you understand how much time you should spend practicing Git and how often you should practice it. 

Choose your focus

Before you start your learning journey, you must decide where to keep your focus. Since Git is an additional skill, it's important to give time to polish your main skills. For example, as a data scientist, you can take a blended approach that divides your time between learning coding and version control.

Practice regularly 

Learning from online tutorials and physical resources is excellent. However, you should grow an interest in practice-based learning before you engage with real-life projects. It provides hands-on experience, which most recruiters look for in candidates. 

Work on real projects

The best way to master Git is to work on real projects and tackle problems you encounter in different fields, such as data science, machine learning, or software development. You can also make your projects public so others can contribute to your work and the GitHub online community. 

Join a community 

Online communities are always a great way to learn anything. So, if you’re learning Git, it’s time to join one. For this purpose, you can check out platforms like Reddit since they host active groups where you can ask related questions and provide solutions. 

Git community on Reddit. Image by author

This is a great way to engage with experts and learn from their knowledge and experience. 

Don't rush

While it's tempting to focus on speed to land a job quickly, this approach can leave gaps in your knowledge. That's why take the time to practice and explore different scenarios for a solid understanding of Git and its concepts!

Final Thoughts

Git has become a necessity to survive in this competitive job market, especially if you’re on the tech side. In fact, recruiters prefer Git over other VCS because it supports more efficient team collaboration and improves workflow. 

You can use online tutorials and courses to start building your basic concepts. But it's equally important to work on real-life projects to gain hands-on experience and build a solid portfolio to grow in your career.

Apart from Git, if you're also looking to master a programming language and can't decide on one, Python ranked as the third most-used programming language in 2023.  You can follow this guide to learn Python from scratch!