pyndu
2026-07-10•4 min read•
DevelopmentGitVersion Control
The Art of Committing
version control, but make it make sense
At first, Git might seem very scary and daunting.
You see words like commit, branch, merge, rebase… and suddenly you're scared to even touch the keyboard.
But once it clicks, everything falls into place like the pieces of a puzzle you've been spending your time trying to solve.
Version control isn’t just about saving code — it’s about telling the story of how your ideas evolve.
And honestly? There’s something oddly satisfying about committing your work and watching your progress stack up.
Tiny commits. Big growth.
What even is a commit?
A commit is basically a saved checkpoint of your project.
Think of it like:
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a save button for your code
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a time machine for your project
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proof that you did something productive today
Each commit captures:
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what changed
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when it changed
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why it changed (if your commit message is good)
Instead of one giant messy save, Git encourages small meaningful updates.
Because progress looks better in chapters than in chaos.
Basic Commands (tiny cheat sheet)
git init
git add .
git commit -m "message"
git push origin main
Simple, but powerful.
Step 1 — Initialize the repository
First, I start by initializing the project repository that I’m working on, on my local device.
This converts a normal project folder into a Git repository so changes can be tracked.
Project Repository → Git Repository
git init
Step 2 — Stage the files
Next, I stage the files whose changes I want Git to track.
Think of staging like selecting which updates you want included in the next checkpoint.
Changed/New Files → staged files for tracking new changes → changes now tracked
git add .
or specific files
git add index.js
Step 3 — Write meaningful commit messages
Now I write a clean, clear, and concise commit message to make a note of what changes I made.
Good commit messages help both present-you and future-you understand what happened.
Examples:
feat: add profile picture upload
fix: correct typo in navbar
chore: update dependencies
Quick guide:
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feat → adding a new feature or functionality
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fix → correcting something that was broken
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chore → changes that don’t affect the app behaviour directly (configs, dependencies, build tasks)
git commit -m "feat: add search bar"
Step 4 — Push changes to GitHub
After writing a good commit message, I push the changes to the main branch.
This uploads the local changes to the remote repository (GitHub).
git push origin main
Now the changes are backed up and visible online.
Creating a repository on GitHub
If you don’t already have a repo:
GitHub → click the + icon → New repository
Choose:
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repository name
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visibility (public or private)
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optional description
Then connect your local project to this repo.
Working in collaborative environments (pull requests)
If you’re contributing to a repository where you don’t have direct permission to modify the main branch, you create a pull request.
A pull request allows maintainers to review your changes before merging them into the main branch.
This helps keep projects stable and organized.
Always sync before starting work
Before I start working in my local repository, I always make sure to sync and pull changes first.
Sometimes (almost all the time) when I forget this step, I run into merge conflicts.
And then I wish myself good luck…
because I will definitely be needing it and probably 10 years of life span 🤡
git pull origin main
Quick summary workflow
git init
git add .
git commit -m "I'm so done"
git push origin main
Repeat until the project magically works.
Helpful learning resources
Articles / Blogs
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Complete Tutorial of Git and GitHub for Basic to Advanced — Sachinsoni
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I don’t Git it — Rick Martinez
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Git Full Tutorial — How to Use Git in a Real Project — Saikiran Kalidindi
YouTube Tutorials
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Git and GitHub Crash Course — freeCodeCamp
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Git and GitHub for beginners — Amigoscode
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Git and GitHub course — Javascript Mastery
Bonus: customizing your GitHub README
If you want your GitHub profile to look aesthetic, interactive, and actually fun to explore, I wrote about how I customized mine:
Fair warning: you may spend way too long tweaking badges and layouts.
But honestly… worth it.
Tiny commits today = confident developer tomorrow 🚀
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