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A lot of git tutorials go into detail about how the data model works as part of or even before explaining basic usage. This guide is different in that it explai
by polm23 9y ago
A lot of git tutorials go into detail about how the data model works as part of or even before explaining basic usage. This guide is different in that it explains how to use git in the simplest possible way - conceptually just as a system to make save points - and then covers the data model later after it's shown the merits of the system.
If you need to explain git to someone who has the option of not using it or isn't sold on the whole idea in the first place, this is the absolute best place to start.
- hyperpallium 9y agoThey're not being rigorous; it's just simpler to explain in terms of the data model. The data model is very simple and clean (and most of git's benefits flow directly from the model). The UI is awful... confusing and inconsistent. The engineering is brilliant: informative error messages and hints; fast; great features (e.g. a better diff, with --color-words; logical argument parsing). The only significant things missing are deliberate design choices inherent in the data model. e.g.: not storing renames explicitly (which BitKeeper did), so you can't easily search for changes in a file that was renamed/moved. It could be simulated with out-of-band info (like tags), but isn't.