Why Git version control is the most important software skill I have
If you are not using version control, you are wasting your time
The most important software skill I have doesn’t have anything to do with writing software. I could never do my job and build my company if it wasn’t for version control, and specifically Git.
The crazy thing is that I didn’t learn about Git until I was two years out from my Master’s degree. How is it possible that I was able to make it all the way through my undergraduate degree, my graduate degree, and my first job without learning this critical tool?
To be honest, I’m not sure. I was an electrical engineer and it was either never mentioned or never pushed as a tool that should be learned when you are developing software when I was at college. On my first job I was finally introduced to the idea of version control, but that company used Clear Case; and I’m here to tell you that it was a terrible version control system.
It was at my second job, 2 years after I left university, where I was introduced to Git version control. Git is without a doubt the most critical software skill I have today. It allows me to work with others, it allows me develop code faster, it allow me to track my own software changes, and it allows me to feel confident that my intellectual property is secure.
In an upcoming article I will explain in detail all of the critical details that I rely on daily using Git. Since I do believe it is so critical, it’s really the first skill I teach when someone asks me to teach them how to code. If they can’t use Git, then I can’t help them because I can’t track their changes and work together. That’s why during my first 90 day content challenge I wrote this article to introduce you to Git and why it is so important.
Let me know in the comments what you think about version control and how you incorporate it into your workflow.
