Use Git like a senior engineer

Rohit Sharma
2 min readOct 3, 2024

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Using Git like a senior engineer involves a combination of best practices, workflows, and advanced techniques. Here are some tips to help you take your Git skills to the next level:

Master the Basics

Before diving into advanced techniques, make sure you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals:

  • Understand the Git data model: commits, trees, blobs, and tags
  • Know how to use basic Git commands: git init, git add, git commit, git log, git branch, and git checkout
  • Familiarize yourself with Git configuration files: .gitconfig and .gitignore

Advanced Git Techniques

  • Use Git Submodules: Manage dependencies between projects by using submodules. This allows you to track changes in dependent projects and maintain a clean, modular codebase.
  • Implement Git Hooks: Customize Git’s behavior by creating hooks that automate tasks, such as formatting code, running tests, or enforcing coding standards.
  • Utilize Git Aliases: Create custom Git commands to simplify your workflow and reduce typing.
  • Leverage Git Worktrees: Manage multiple parallel branches or repositories by creating separate worktrees.

Effective Branching and Merging

  • Use a Consistent Branching Strategy: Adopt a branching model that suits your team’s needs, such as Git Flow or GitHub Flow.
  • Master Git Merge Strategies: Understand the differences between git merge --no-ff, git merge --squash, and git merge --rebase.
  • Use git cherry-pick and git revert: Learn how to apply specific commits from one branch to another and how to revert changes.

Collaboration and Code Review

  • Use Pull Requests: Implement a code review process using pull requests to ensure high-quality code and knowledge sharing.
  • Leverage Git Blame and Git Bisect: Identify the origin of changes and debug issues using git blame and git bisect.
  • Use Git Subscriptions: Stay up-to-date with changes in your repository by subscribing to specific branches or files.

Advanced Git Tools and Integrations

  • Use Git LFS (Large File Storage): Manage large files and binaries efficiently using Git LFS.
  • Integrate with CI/CD Tools: Automate testing, building, and deployment using tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, or CircleCI.
  • Utilize Git APIs and Webhooks: Create custom integrations with Git APIs and webhooks to automate tasks and workflows.

Best Practices and Workflows

  • Follow the Boy Scout Rule: Leave the codebase in a better state than you found it.
  • Use Meaningful Commit Messages: Write descriptive commit messages that follow a consistent format.
  • Implement a Code Review Process: Establish a code review process to ensure high-quality code and knowledge sharing.

By mastering these advanced Git techniques, workflows, and best practices, you’ll be able to use Git like a senior engineer and take your team’s collaboration and productivity to the next level.

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