I Fought Git, and (Spoiler Alert) Git Won
"All the cool kids are using it," I remember hearing about Git back in 2005 as it started gaining traction. Having already invested years in mastering Visual SourceSafe, CVS, and Subversion throughout my decade-long technical career, my initial reaction was a less-than-enthusiastic, "Another freaking source control to learn?!" While I enjoyed diving into new programming languages, the world of source control felt decidedly…mundane. Little did I know the battle I was unknowingly about to wage.
For years, as a consultant, I often found myself working with whatever version control system the client had in place, frequently older, more familiar ones. When Git or GitHub inevitably entered the picture, I approached it with a sense of reluctant obligation, determined to simply grit my teeth and get through it. This resistance manifested as a slow, error-prone dance with the command line, each misstep fueling my irritation.
Then, a simple realization dawned on me: I had successfully navigated the complexities of numerous new languages and technologies. Why was I treating Git as some insurmountable obstacle? I decided to shift my perspective and actively begin learning. Initially, I focused on the command-line basics. As someone who's always had a somewhat turbulent relationship with the command line (more on that later), this felt like wading through mud.
Thankfully, I stumbled upon [mention the website again if you remember it, or say "a fantastic online resource"]. This website proved to be a game-changer, offering visual explanations that demystified what was happening behind the scenes. Seeing the branching and merging in action made the concepts finally click.
My love-hate relationship with the command line has been a constant throughout my career. Mostly hate, if I'm being honest. It often feels unnecessarily cryptic. However, I must admit there's a certain elegance to its simplicity. Typing git clone [repository URL] does evokes a nostalgic pang for my Atari 400 days, where I diligently wrote math assignments and learned the fundamental commands of BASIC.
For visual thinkers like myself, however, GitHub Desktop has been a true revelation. This graphical interface allows for a much more intuitive interaction with Git. Suddenly, branching and creating pull requests became straightforward visual tasks. The ability to compare versions using the diff tools is invaluable. Tools like SourceTree from Atlassian offer a similar visual approach for both Git and Bitbucket repositories, allowing for easy code review and management.
My initial resistance to Git inevitably led to a series of mistakes, largely stemming from my failure to grasp the fundamental concepts early on. Coming from the Subversion world, I made assumptions about terminology. I thought I understood "push" and "pull" – until I started committing code to the wrong branches.
One particular incident still makes me cringe. We were preparing for a production rollout, and it was discovered that I had inadvertently introduced code into the wrong branch. Let's just say I found myself in some seriously hot water. That experience served as a harsh but effective lesson in the importance of understanding Git's core principles.
Looking at my current GitHub profile, you might be surprised by the relatively sparse history for someone with my years of experience. This brings me to one of my more… memorable learning experiences. A few years ago, I taught a Java course for DMACC. All the code examples, meticulously crafted and tested, resided in my GitHub account. Then, for reasons that remain shrouded in the fog of a forgetful moment, I decided to delete my entire account. Yes, you read that right. A seasoned developer deleted his entire repository of teaching materials. A profoundly dumb move. Attempts to recover those examples have been futile – they're gone like the wind. So, please, learn from my monumental blunder: think twice (or maybe three times) before hitting that delete button.
In conclusion, Git has unequivocally become the version control system of choice in our industry. Don't make the same mistake I did and resist it. To paraphrase an old song, I fought Git, and Git won. Embrace the learning process, jump in, make mistakes (they're inevitable!), and learn from them. You'll not only gain proficiency in a crucial tool but also build a valuable record of your development journey. Repo for the win!