Various Git Notes

Commit Analysis

PR Merging

Keeping Features Up To Date With Main

Git is a distributed version control system. It lets you snapshot your source code over time, branch to develop features safely, merge changes back, and collaborate with others without a central single point of failure. Every clone is a full repository with complete history.

Core Concepts (30-second tour)

• Repository (repo): a project’s versioned history.
• Commit: a snapshot with a message (who/what/why).
• Branch: a movable pointer for parallel work (e.g., main, feature/x).
• Merge / Rebase: ways to integrate changes between branches.
• Remote: a hosted copy (e.g., GitHub, Azure DevOps).

Windows Tools You Can Use

• Git for Windows (includes git.exe, Git Bash, and Git Credential Manager).
• Command Prompt or PowerShell (run git directly if Git is on PATH).
• Windows Terminal (tabs/profiles for PowerShell, cmd, Git Bash).
• VS Code (excellent built-in Git UI + terminal).
• Visual Studio (integrated Git tooling for .NET projects).
• GUI clients: GitHub Desktop, Sourcetree, TortoiseGit (Explorer integration).

Popular Repo Providers (Windows-friendly)

• GitHub — massive ecosystem, Actions CI/CD, great integrations.
• Azure DevOps Repos — tight Azure/Boards/Pipelines integration.
• GitLab — integrated DevSecOps platform, self-host or cloud.
• Bitbucket — Atlassian ecosystem (Jira), supports Git & Pipelines.
• Self-hosted — e.g., Gitea/GitLab CE on Windows Server or Docker.

Install on Windows (Quick)

Install Git for Windows. Accept defaults unless you have a reason to change; keep “Git from the Command Prompt/PowerShell” and “Git Credential Manager” enabled.

:: Verify installation (Command Prompt or PowerShell)
git --version

:: Optional: enable colored output
git config --global color.ui auto

First-Time Setup

:: Identify yourself (appears in commit metadata)
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

:: Use the Windows Git Credential Manager (stores HTTPS creds/SSO tokens)
git config --global credential.helper manager

SSH Key (Optional, for GitHub/Azure DevOps/GitLab)

:: PowerShell: generate an Ed25519 key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com"
# Press Enter to accept defaults, set a passphrase for security
# Add the public key (~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub) to your repo provider account

:: Start agent and add key (PowerShell)
Start-Service ssh-agent
ssh-add $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519

Daily Basics (Windows)

:: Clone a repo
git clone https://<provider>/<org>/<repo>.git
cd <repo>

:: Create a feature branch
git switch -c feature/my-change

:: Stage and commit
git add .
git commit -m "Feature: concise summary"

:: Push branch
git push -u origin feature/my-change

:: Pull latest changes for your current branch
git pull --ff-only

:: Keep your feature up to date with main (choose one)
git merge origin/main
# or
git rebase origin/main

:: Open a PR on your provider (UI), then:
# after merge, update local main
git switch main
git pull --ff-only

Tips Specific to Windows

• Line Endings: default autocrlf usually OK; for cross-platform repos consider .gitattributes with * text=auto.
• Paths: prefer relative paths in scripts; long path support can be enabled in Windows if needed.
• Terminal: Windows Terminal + PowerShell gives a great Git experience; keep Git Bash handy for Unix-style tools.

Git.exe versus Git Bash)

Git for Windows installs two main components: git.exe (the real Git engine) and Git Bash (a Unix-style shell that runs it). Both use the same Git core — they just provide different environments for running Git commands.

1) Git.exe — the Core Git Engine

• git.exe is the actual executable that performs all Git operations.
• Located in C:\Program Files\Git\cmd\git.exe.
• Used automatically by:
  • Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
  • PowerShell
  • Windows Terminal
  • Visual Studio / VS Code integrated terminals

:: Example (Command Prompt)
C:\> git status
C:\> git commit -m "Add login controller"

Think of git.exe as the engine — it’s what every Git interface calls behind the scenes.

2) Git Bash — the Unix-style Shell Wrapper

• Git Bash is a terminal environment bundled with Git for Windows.
• Provides a lightweight Unix-like shell based on MinGW/MSYS2.
• Supports familiar Linux commands such as ls, grep, cat, pwd, and rm.
• Uses forward-slash paths (/c/Projects/MyRepo) and a colourised, branch-aware prompt.

$ git status
$ ls -la
$ git diff

It’s ideal if you prefer a Linux-style experience or run shell scripts (.sh files).

3) Key Differences

4) When to Use Which

• Use Git Bash if you:
  • Follow Linux/Unix tutorials
  • Write or run shell scripts (.sh)
  • Prefer concise commands and Unix utilities
• Use Command Prompt or PowerShell if you:
  • Work mostly in Windows tools or .NET projects
  • Need native Windows paths and scripting
  • Run Git from Visual Studio or automation scripts

5) Verifying Which Git Is Running

:: Works in any terminal
where git

This shows the full path to the git.exe binary being used. Both Git Bash and cmd/PowerShell will normally point to the same executable.

6) In Summary

git.exe is the Git engine itself — the same binary used by every tool. Git Bash is simply a friendlier, Unix-style command shell that runs that same engine. Use whichever feels most natural for your workflow — they both reach the same destination.