Understanding version control in plain language.
Git is version control - it saves the history of all changes to files.
Think of it like "Track Changes" in Word or "Version History" in Google Docs, but for code.
✅ Undo mistakes - Go back to any previous version ✅ Collaborate - Multiple people can work at once ✅ Track changes - See who changed what and when ✅ Backup - All history is saved
The project folder with all files and history.
A saved snapshot of changes. Like a save point in a video game.
A separate workspace for making changes. Like working on a copy.
Upload your commits to GitHub (the cloud).
Download changes from GitHub to your computer.
The live version of the site that visitors see.
| Google Docs | Git |
|---|---|
| Edit document | Edit files |
| Auto-save | Manual save (commit) |
| Version history | Git history |
| Share | Push to GitHub |
| Download | Pull from GitHub |