Git in Practice

No matter how good a team is, it will flounder if it can't keep the code organized, which can be especially tough when members of the team are spread across multiple locations and time zones. Git is a version control system designed to facilitate work among distributed teams. Git's decentralized architecture, in which each developer maintains a copy of the repository, means that branching and committing are lightning fast. Git manages complex code merges, task switching, and project branching with minimal ceremony, allowing the focus to be on the code instead of tedious administrative tasks.

Git in Practice is a collection of tested techniques that will optimize the way teams manage their development projects. It begins with a brief refresher of the core version control concepts needed when using Git and moves on to the high-value features readers may not have explored yet. Then, it digs into cookbook-style techniques like history visualization and advanced branching—each presented in a problem-solution-discussion format. Finally, the book shows readers how to use Git to its full potential through configuration, team workflows, submodules, and using GitHub pull requests effectively.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

Mike McQuaid is a software engineer at GitHub, speaker, trainer, and Git expert. He has contributed widely to Git-based open-source software, including Qt and the Linux kernel, and helps handle the huge number of contributions to the Git-based Homebrew project, a popular OSX package manager to which he is a core contributor.