Git and GitHub are two different technologies designed to work in harmony to help software developers write and manage coding projects.
Git is an open-source (freely distributed) version control system (VCS), which automatically tracks coding activity over time and allows developers to save each modified version of the code in anticipation of situations that require reverting to an earlier version.
Git is a command line application that developers can install and host on their own personal computers or on their organization’s server so multiple developers working on the same code base don’t accidentally overwrite another developer’s changes. Git is the overwhelming choice for version control by almost 94% of today’s developers, according to a survey published by Stack Overflow in June 2022.
GitHub is a web-based hosting service, which provides developers with a globally accessible platform for collaborating on Git projects. A standard way of doing version control, Git was developed as a free open source program. GitHub is just one commercial (for-profit) product built on that standard. GitHub offers free hosting service and user-friendly VCS and standard automation tools fulfill the requirements for many development projects and offers premium plans, including GitHub Pro, GitHub Team and GitHub Enterprise, that provide features for more specialized development and deployment needs.
GitHub’s freely distributed VCS offers version control and activity tracking based on Git, and it’s GUI-based and very intuitive, which makes it easier to learn by non-programmers. GitHub’s standard features also include project management tools, such as user authentication and access controls, permission setting, task management and internal project team messaging.
When a Git user writes and modifies code using their personal computer, Git’s VCS automatically date- and time-stamps the activity and stores the newly modified code without changing or deleting previous versions. Everything is saved; nothing is overwritten or lost.
The Git user’s work can then be uploaded to an online forum or virtual community for the purpose of soliciting feedback or finding collaborators with similar interests and expertise. Alternatively, a Git user already working with other programmers can upload their work to an off-site server via a Local Area Network (LAN) or an online location where the work is “merged” with the main project code.
As the world’s most popular online destination for Git projects, GitHub stores uploaded data in a filing system called a “repository.” Using GitHub’s GUI-based VCS and project management tools, a development manager shepherds the team’s collective body of work to completion with a minimum of hands-on oversight.
Think of GitHub as a virtual design studio where technology projects based on work done by a team of Git collaborators are managed and stored.
Speaking of which, Git users can work on their PCs without using GitHub, but to collaborate on the GitHub platform, all users (with certain exceptions) must be using Git.
When a Git user writes and modifies code using their personal computer, Git’s VCS automatically date- and time-stamps the activity and stores the newly modified code without changing or deleting previous versions. Everything is saved; nothing is overwritten or lost.
The Git user’s work can then be uploaded to an online forum or virtual community for the purpose of soliciting feedback or finding collaborators with similar interests and expertise. Alternatively, a Git user already working with other programmers can upload their work to an off-site server via a Local Area Network (LAN) or an online location where the work is “merged” with the main project code.
As the world’s most popular online destination for Git projects, GitHub stores uploaded data in a filing system called a “repository.” Using GitHub’s GUI-based VCS and project management tools, a development manager shepherds the team’s collective body of work to completion with a minimum of hands-on oversight.
Think of GitHub as a virtual design studio where technology projects based on work done by a team of Git collaborators are managed and stored.
Speaking of which, Git users can work on their PCs without using GitHub, but to collaborate on the GitHub platform, all users (with certain exceptions) must be using Git.
In addition to serving as a web-based workshop and repository for Git project collaboration, GitHub offers basic project planning and management tools including:
Although GitHub repositories are generally visible to the public, access to them can be restricted by the account holder. Additionally, private repositories, which can be seen only by authorized users, are included in GitHub’s free plan.
Created by a Linux engineer, Git was launched in 2005. Although it was developed on the Linux platform, Git runs on most operating systems including macOS and Windows. Today, most MacBooks and Apple computers come with Git pre-installed. Windows users can download a free copy of Git to their computer’s hard drive.
Soon after Git’s release, a group of software developers in San Francisco began working on GitHub, which was launched in 2008. A decade later, Microsoft acquired the company for $7.5 billion. At the time, the GitHub community was estimated at 28 million users. In an October 2022 earnings report, Microsoft stated that, as of November 2021, the number of active GitHub users worldwide had topped 90 million.
Git and GitHub are reliably proven development tools supported by a global online community where users can find how-to and troubleshooting tips.
Git and GitHub can handle projects based on a variety of content including text files, videos, photographs, tabular data and spreadsheets (with certain limits on file size). Although conceived as a tool for professional developers, businesses and organizations, countless numbers of semi-professionals and plain old folks have used Git and GitHub to collaborate on projects ranging from writing symphonies and building e-commerce sites to creating graphic design portfolios and sharing family recipes.
Ultimately, the reason why 90 million (and counting) developers, coders, small and large businesses, government agencies, research institutions, universities, engineers, artists, gamers — and the list goes on — use Git and GitHub on a daily basis is because they work.
Teams wanting to learn GitHub and developers seeking to improve their Git skills can learn basic and advanced Git commands and best practices in just two days.
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