Chapter Outline

Chapter 1: Git Basics — Understanding Version Control

In this chapter, we'll cover what Git is, why developers and DevOps engineers need it, and how to start tracking code for a real project.

We’ll kick off the series by creating a simple Node.js API project called "TaskTracker API", which we’ll evolve and version throughout the series.

What is Git (Quick and Developer-Focused)?

Git is a distributed version control system.
It helps you track file changes, collaborate, and rollback mistakes.
It’s like a save button for your code, but with a timeline, branches, and multiplayer support.

Installing Git

If you haven’t already:

Windows / macOS / Linux:

https://git-scm.com/downloads

After installing, check:

git --version

Setting Up Git for the First Time

Git needs your name and email for tagging commits.

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Verify:

git config --list

Starting Our Project: TaskTracker API

Let’s build something real: a basic Node.js API for task management.

1. Create the project directory:

mkdir task-tracker-api
cd task-tracker-api

2. Initialize a Git repository:

git init

Output:

Initialized empty Git repository in /path/to/task-tracker-api/.git/

3. Create some starter files:

npm init -y
touch index.js

Add a simple Express server:

index.js

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Task Tracker API is running!');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});

Also install express:

npm install express

4. Add files to `.gitignore` (important for Node projects):

.gitignore

node_modules
.env

5. Check Git status:

git status

You should see:

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
	index.js
	package.json
	package-lock.json
	.gitignore

6. Stage and Commit Initial Code:

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit: Setup TaskTracker API with Express"

Inspecting the Commit History:

git log