Version Control for Shell Scripts – in Shell Scripting

What You’ll Learn 📚

• Understanding version control and its importance
• Key terminology in version control
• How to set up version control for shell scripts
• Step-by-step examples from basic to advanced
• Troubleshooting common issues

Introduction to Version Control

Version control is a system that records changes to a file or set of files over time so that you can recall specific versions later. It’s like a time machine for your code! ⏳

Imagine working on a group project where everyone is editing the same document. Without version control, keeping track of changes would be chaotic. Version control helps manage these changes efficiently.

Key Terminology

• Repository (repo): A storage location for your code, usually hosted on platforms like GitHub or GitLab.
• Commit: A snapshot of your code at a specific point in time.
• Branch: A parallel version of your repository where you can work on changes without affecting the main codebase.
• Merge: Combining changes from different branches.

Getting Started with Version Control

Simple Example: Creating a Git Repository

# Step 1: Initialize a new Git repository in your project directory
git init

# Step 2: Add your shell script to the repository
git add your_script.sh

# Step 3: Commit your changes with a message
git commit -m 'Initial commit of my shell script'

Initialized empty Git repository in /path/to/your/project/.git/
[master (root-commit) abc1234] Initial commit of my shell script
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 your_script.sh

Progressively Complex Examples

Example 1: Creating and Switching Branches

# Create a new branch called 'feature'
git branch feature

# Switch to the 'feature' branch
git checkout feature

Example 2: Merging Branches

# Switch back to the master branch
git checkout master

# Merge changes from the 'feature' branch
git merge feature

Example 3: Resolving Merge Conflicts

# If a conflict occurs, Git will notify you
# Open the conflicting file and resolve the differences
# After resolving, mark the conflict as resolved
git add your_script.sh

# Commit the resolved changes
git commit -m 'Resolved merge conflict'

Common Questions and Answers

1. What is version control? Version control is a system for managing changes to files over time.
2. Why is version control important? It helps track changes, collaborate with others, and revert to previous versions if needed.
3. What is a commit? A commit is a saved change to your code with a message describing the change.
4. How do I create a branch? Use git branch branch_name to create a new branch.
5. What is a merge conflict? A merge conflict occurs when changes in different branches overlap and need manual resolution.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you see ‘fatal: not a git repository’, make sure you’re in the correct directory or initialize a new repository with git init.

Always commit your changes with meaningful messages. It helps you and others understand the history of your project. 🗂️

Practice Exercises

• Create a new Git repository and add a shell script.
• Make changes to the script and commit them.
• Create a new branch, make changes, and merge them back into the main branch.

For more information, check out the Git documentation.