7+ Reasons to Learn Git as a Developer

If you’re a developer, most probably, you have already heard about “Git” but if you haven’t yet, try to learn git as soon as possible.

Why is this Git thing so important, by the way? Let’s understand this.

While programming, you need to continuously make changes in the code — sometimes you add new lines, sometimes remove lines, and sometimes go back to the previous version of the file. But for all this to work, you need to save the file with a new name, every time.

And, that’s not possible, practically.

However, Git makes this happen very easily. It’s the most popular version control system (VCS) that tracks all the changes in the code and keeps records of different versions of the files. You can go back to any version at any time with a simple git command.

Git was created in 2005 by Linus Torvalds, the man who developed the Linux kernel. It’s completely free and open-source software.

Fun fact: Git can be used to track changes in any kind of file, not just programming-related files. A photographer can also use git to maintain the different versions of a photo.

Now, let’s understand why you should learn git as a developer…

Reasons to learn Git

1. Makes version control easier

If you are a developer, you would know how many times changes are made in a single file — sometimes to fix bugs, sometimes to add features, and sometimes to make the code better.

And, it’s just not possible to rename the file with new changes with a new name, you can’t do that because that file is being referenced in multiple other files.

There comes the most popular version control system — git. It helps you track all the modifications done in a file and you can go back to any previous version at any time. Git does so without changing the original name of the file.

2. Can collaborate with others

Most of the software products are developed by multiple developers working from different locations or at least, from different computers, of course. But how to sync their work?

Git offers a number of tools that help developers collaborate with each other with ease. It records what modifications are done and who has done the modifications making the process easier. A developer downloads the original source code to his/her computer by using the git pull command, does all the required modifications, and then uploads the code to the main repository by using the git push command.

Another amazing feature of git is — branches. You can create a separate branch for every contributor so that their code doesn’t get merged with the main code without a proper review. Branches are also used to keep the live code away from the code that is continuously being modified, and once the development branch is properly tested and reviewed, it can be merged to the main branch.

All the open-source projects are the best example of projects that are done via collaborations — tens if not hundreds of developers work together at their own pace and convenience. It encourages teamwork.

3. Showcase your skills

Git-based platforms like GitHub help you showcase your skills by hosting your code online and letting people know how amazing a developer you are. You can create a repository and push your code to the repo along with some description of what it does and how it works. If the code is really great, the developer community shows its support by starring your repository and then you become a known face in the community.

There’s a famous quote that fits perfectly for all the developers out there, “your GitHub profile is your CV”.

Yes, a lot of people claim to get jobs at big companies because of the great portfolio on their GitHub profile.

4. Remote work is becoming the norm

Due to the COVID19, most of the developers are still working from their homes and, as per the trends, remote working is going to continue even after the COVID is gone. In that case, it becomes really necessary for developers to learn git to be able to collaborate with their team and improve their productivity.

5. Ideal for open-source projects

There are thousands of great open-source projects that you can learn from by contributing to them via online git-based platforms like GitHub.

Or, you can start an open-source project yourself and ask other fellow developers to contribute and support. If the project solves a real issue, you will get tremendous help from the community.

6. Motivates you to work

Engaging in the online developers’ community discussions motivates and encourages you to work and create beautiful software. If you get stuck somewhere, people are always eager to help.

GitHub community is one of the best examples of the most supportive communities out there.

7. Works offline

Git doesn’t require an internet connection but if you’re collaborating with other developers then you will need an online git-based platform like GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket, etc.

This feature is handy when you are working on a project alone and don’t need to push it on the internet. Also, when you’re out of the station and there is no internet, you can keep committing changes locally and push online when there’s an internet connection later.

8. Everyone uses it

Almost all software organizations and individual developers use git for software developments. Most of the companies make it compulsory to learn git if you want to get a job in it.

👉 Related: A Detailed Technical Interview Guide

Git FAQs

That’s it.

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