12 ms·

Learn Git Branching

300 points by gerbilly 8y ago

posix_compliant 8y ago
I can't recommend this highly enough. Before, I had been working with IBM Clearcase and SVN, so I don't feel like I "got" git until I saw, visually, the following: * interactive rebasing * how remote branches are represented * what HEAD is, and how it relates to branches * in day-to-day usage, commits are never really thrown away or deleted. For example, git amend doesn't actually delete a commit. This was a great starting point, it's highly interactive, and I'm considering learning javascript for the sole purpose of adapting this style interface to teach other subjects. Imagine learning docker through something like this. It's not that much of a reach!
- dpau 8y ago
  I'm still going through the exercises but as an old SVN user I completely agree, the visual aids in the tutorial are excellent. It would be great to have this resource integrated into a git client.
yalooze 8y ago
Meta: I opened this on mobile in a background tab and was quite surprised that my browser (Chrome on iOS) forcibly switched tabs to focus on the new tab. It seems it was because the site uses an alert to say "can't receive input on mobile". I guess this is the browser's default behaviour but seems like something that could be completely abused by spammers/advertisers.
- IggleSniggle 8y ago
  This is one of those browser specific things, but I believe should be considered a bug by whatever browser you’re using.
  - Sylos 8y ago
    Happens on Firefox for Android, too...
notaboutdave 8y ago
For those of you about to click: it's a visual interactive guide, and it's excellent. This guide is way too easy to not just learn it right now.
- SlowRobotAhead 8y ago
  Also, it doesn’t seem to work on mobile, so, maybe saved you a click.
sudovancity 8y ago
I love this guide, it is seriously fantastic. Definitely one of the more fun ways to learn a useful skill.
etu 8y ago
This is just an amazing resource. I just found it here and have gone through most of it. At some point I found myself ignoring the goal and just playing with git commands to see the visualization of them. And for the most parts, it's very great! I need to give this to some people I work with.
dang 8y ago
Several previous discussions: https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Learn%20Git%20Branching%20points%3E20&sort=byDate&dateRange=all&type=story&storyText=false&prefix&page=0 https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Learn%20Git%20Branching%20poin...
omegote 8y ago
It's sad that the default spanish translation is so obviously localized (for Argentinians in particular). It's annoying for the rest of spanish speakers to read the texts, specially the imperatives ("Compartí" instead of "Comparte", etc).
- coldtea 8y ago
  What are developers doing reading a dev resource in a localized version in the first place?
  - omegote 8y ago
    The page spawns in the system locale, and it's pretty hard to change it using the icon in the toolbar below due to the overlay.
    - coldtea 8y ago
      That's a valid reason I guess. Normally I'll read and write any programming related documentation in english, since it's easier to share, refer to common terms and concept, lookup online, etc, and every dev is expected to be able to read it anyway (else they'll have much worse troubles with error messages, tooling, PL syntax, etc).
      - tom_ 8y ago
        A contrasting view: http://idlewords.com/2006/05/on_bilingual_ballots.htm http://idlewords.com/2006/05/on_bilingual_ballots.htm
        coldtea 8y ago
        I don't have an opinion on bilingual ballots or not. Not even for bilingual texts for medicine or not. I guess French or Russian or whatever texts on medicine are fine. My comment was strictly for developer documentation -- where everything in programming is in english, and even basic syntax and terminology needs tons of english to grok anyway. So English + development is more like a case of being an Egyptologist and not speaking ancient Egyptian -- they go with the profession.
mishoo 8y ago
Nicely done, but Courier is the ugliest font on Earth (I don't have Monaco). For the sake of humanity, never write "Courier" in a CSS file. ;-)
- hadrien01 8y ago
  Yes, I really don't understand that design choice. On Linux you have Deja Vu Sans Mono (same origin as Menlo which replaced Monaco 10 years ago) and on Windows Consolas is a pretty good default. Or because the website is for developers, just keep 'monospace' as the default.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
meuk 8y ago
The only way to properly learn git.
zwaps 8y ago
Second level doesn't work. Created a branch with git checkout -b bugFix level does not complete then, redoing it in two steps as suggested does not complete the level so the player is stuck fyi
- mailjenil 8y ago
  For me "git checkout -b bugFix" solved the level
- wodenokoto 8y ago
  On Firefox at least, I can concur and say it does choke more or less randomly. I got softblocked on the first level because head didn't move when I committed. I reloaded the page and it worked.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
amolkamble47 8y ago
Pretty nice tutorial. Visualization is easy to understand. Took me two hours to finish but enjoyed every minute of it.

300 points by gerbilly 8y ago

I can't recommend this highly enough. Before, I had been working with IBM Clearcase and SVN, so I don't feel like I "got" git until I saw, visually, the following: * interactive rebasing * how remote branches are represented * what HEAD is, and how it relates to branches * in day-to-day usage, commits are never really thrown away or deleted. For example, git amend doesn't actually delete a commit. This was a great starting point, it's highly interactive, and I'm considering learning javascript for the sole purpose of adapting this style interface to teach other subjects. Imagine learning docker through something like this. It's not that much of a reach!

dpau 8y ago
I'm still going through the exercises but as an old SVN user I completely agree, the visual aids in the tutorial are excellent. It would be great to have this resource integrated into a git client.

yalooze 8y ago

Meta: I opened this on mobile in a background tab and was quite surprised that my browser (Chrome on iOS) forcibly switched tabs to focus on the new tab. It seems it was because the site uses an alert to say "can't receive input on mobile". I guess this is the browser's default behaviour but seems like something that could be completely abused by spammers/advertisers.

IggleSniggle 8y ago
This is one of those browser specific things, but I believe should be considered a bug by whatever browser you’re using.
- Sylos 8y ago
  Happens on Firefox for Android, too...

notaboutdave 8y ago

For those of you about to click: it's a visual interactive guide, and it's excellent. This guide is way too easy to not just learn it right now.

SlowRobotAhead 8y ago
Also, it doesn’t seem to work on mobile, so, maybe saved you a click.

sudovancity 8y ago

I love this guide, it is seriously fantastic. Definitely one of the more fun ways to learn a useful skill.

etu 8y ago

This is just an amazing resource. I just found it here and have gone through most of it. At some point I found myself ignoring the goal and just playing with git commands to see the visualization of them. And for the most parts, it's very great! I need to give this to some people I work with.

dang 8y ago

Several previous discussions: https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Learn%20Git%20Branching%20points%3E20&sort=byDate&dateRange=all&type=story&storyText=false&prefix&page=0 https://hn.algolia.com/?query=Learn%20Git%20Branching%20poin...

omegote 8y ago

It's sad that the default spanish translation is so obviously localized (for Argentinians in particular). It's annoying for the rest of spanish speakers to read the texts, specially the imperatives ("Compartí" instead of "Comparte", etc).

coldtea 8y ago
What are developers doing reading a dev resource in a localized version in the first place?
- omegote 8y ago
  The page spawns in the system locale, and it's pretty hard to change it using the icon in the toolbar below due to the overlay.
  - coldtea 8y ago
    That's a valid reason I guess. Normally I'll read and write any programming related documentation in english, since it's easier to share, refer to common terms and concept, lookup online, etc, and every dev is expected to be able to read it anyway (else they'll have much worse troubles with error messages, tooling, PL syntax, etc).
    - tom_ 8y ago
      A contrasting view: http://idlewords.com/2006/05/on_bilingual_ballots.htm http://idlewords.com/2006/05/on_bilingual_ballots.htm
      - coldtea 8y ago
        I don't have an opinion on bilingual ballots or not. Not even for bilingual texts for medicine or not. I guess French or Russian or whatever texts on medicine are fine. My comment was strictly for developer documentation -- where everything in programming is in english, and even basic syntax and terminology needs tons of english to grok anyway. So English + development is more like a case of being an Egyptologist and not speaking ancient Egyptian -- they go with the profession.

mishoo 8y ago

Nicely done, but Courier is the ugliest font on Earth (I don't have Monaco). For the sake of humanity, never write "Courier" in a CSS file. ;-)

hadrien01 8y ago
Yes, I really don't understand that design choice. On Linux you have Deja Vu Sans Mono (same origin as Menlo which replaced Monaco 10 years ago) and on Windows Consolas is a pretty good default. Or because the website is for developers, just keep 'monospace' as the default.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

meuk 8y ago

The only way to properly learn git.

zwaps 8y ago

Second level doesn't work. Created a branch with git checkout -b bugFix level does not complete then, redoing it in two steps as suggested does not complete the level so the player is stuck fyi

mailjenil 8y ago
For me "git checkout -b bugFix" solved the level
wodenokoto 8y ago
On Firefox at least, I can concur and say it does choke more or less randomly. I got softblocked on the first level because head didn't move when I committed. I reloaded the page and it worked.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

amolkamble47 8y ago

Pretty nice tutorial. Visualization is easy to understand. Took me two hours to finish but enjoyed every minute of it.