Git is by far the most popular software version control system today, and every software developer surely knows the basics of how to make a git commit. Given the popularity, it is surprising how many people don’t actually know the advanced commands. Mastering them might help you unlock a new level of productivity. Let’s dive in!
When people learn programming they – for completely obvious and natural reasons – initially focus on learning the syntax of programming languages and libraries. However, these are just tools. The essence of software engineering is about automating thought, applying algorithmic thinking and anticipation of the known and unknown. The code might be succinct, but the reasoning behind it can be extensive, and it needs to show in the communication around the code.
As a software developer, your core skill is how to improve an existing code base to make the software better iteratively, patch by patch. To be a good software developer you need to: understand the concept of a code patch, know how do code improvements in well sized and properly documented patches, and skillfully use git version control software to manage patches.
The MariaDB server has over 2 million lines of code. Downloading, compiling (and re-compiling) and running the test suite can potentially consume a lot of time away from actually making the code changes and being productive. Knowing a few simple shortcuts can help avoid wasting time.
