Git
The version control system that tracks every change ever made.
What it is
Git is a distributed version control system. It tracks every change made to code over time - who changed what, when, and with what description. Every project has a complete history. You can see the state of any file at any point in the past, revert changes that broke something, branch off to work on a new feature without touching the main codebase, and merge work from multiple contributors.
Git was created by Linus Torvalds (who also created Linux) in 2005, and it's now used by virtually every software project in existence. GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket are platforms that host Git repositories and add collaboration features on top.
How I use it
Every project runs in Git from day one. Commits are made at logical points - each commit describes a coherent change with a clear message. Branches are used for new features or experiments so that the main branch is always in a working state. Before deploying, the deployment platform (Vercel) pulls from the main branch, which triggers the build.
For client projects where handover is required, the full Git history means the next developer can see the rationale behind technical decisions rather than inheriting a codebase with no explanation for why things are structured the way they are.
Why this over the alternatives
There is no real alternative to Git for version control - it has essentially no competition. Subversion and Mercurial still exist but are rarely chosen for new projects. Git is what every developer knows, every platform supports, and every tool integrates with.
What it means for your site
- Complete history of every change - any mistake can be identified and reverted
- Branching for new features or experiments without risking the working codebase
- Collaboration without overwriting each other's work
- Deployment pipelines trigger automatically from Git pushes
