Why Version Control Exists
The problem it solves — before you touch a single command
Before learning any Git commands, it's worth understanding the problem version control solves. Because once you see it, you'll never want to work without it again.
The folder most developers recognise
Left side: how most people manage files without version control. Right side: what Git gives you instead. Same project, completely different experience.
What "save" doesn't do
When you save a file, you overwrite the previous version. The old version is gone. This creates three problems:
- You can't go back — Made a change three days ago that broke something? Without version control you have no way to recover the working version.
- You can't experiment safely — Want to try a new approach? Without version control, trying it means risking your working code.
- You can't collaborate — Two people editing the same file at the same time guarantees someone's changes get lost.
What Git gives you instead
Git is a version control system. It tracks every change you deliberately save — called a commit — and keeps the complete history. You can look at any previous version, compare what changed between them, and recover anything.
The mental shift
Stop thinking of your project as files. Start thinking of it as a timeline of snapshots. Each commit is a complete, recoverable point in that timeline.
Git vs GitHub — not the same thing
People use "Git" and "GitHub" interchangeably. They're not the same:
- Git — The version control tool. It runs on your computer. It's the engine that tracks changes and stores history. Free and open source.
- GitHub — A website that hosts Git repositories in the cloud. Think of it as Google Drive for code — plus collaboration tools. Made by Microsoft. Git can exist without GitHub; GitHub cannot exist without Git.
Who this course is for
- People learning to code — Every course will eventually tell you to "push to GitHub." This is what that means.
- WordPress people moving to custom sites — Managing code without version control is terrifying. Git makes it safe.
- Developers who want to fill gaps — If you've been winging it with Git, this course will make everything click.