Practice: Hands-On Git Exercise

You can't learn Git by reading. You have to type the commands yourself. Open your terminal and follow every step below. If you skip this, you'll forget everything by tomorrow.

Exercise 1: Build a Test Repo from Scratch

1. Create a new folder called git-practice-tests and initialize a Git repo inside it
2. Create a .gitignore file with the template from lesson 9. Commit it: "Add .gitignore for automation project"
3. Create LoginTest.java with a basic class skeleton. Commit: "Add LoginTest skeleton"
4. Create a branch called feature/add-cart-tests
5. On this branch, create CartTest.java. Commit: "Add CartTest for shopping cart scenarios"
6. Switch back to main — notice CartTest.java doesn't exist on main
7. Merge feature/add-cart-tests into main. Now both files exist.
8. Create a GitHub repo and push your local repo to it
9. Create a branch feature/update-login. Modify LoginTest.java. Push and create a Pull Request.
10. Review your own PR on GitHub (look at Files Changed tab). Then merge it.

Exercise 2: Simulate a Merge Conflict

This exercise deliberately creates a conflict so you can practice resolving it. Do this at least twice until it feels routine.

# On main, edit line 3 of LoginTest.java
git checkout main
# Edit LoginTest.java — change the class comment to "Version A"
git add LoginTest.java
git commit -m "Update LoginTest comment — version A"

# Create a new branch from BEFORE that commit
git checkout -b conflict-branch HEAD~1
# Edit the SAME line of LoginTest.java — change to "Version B"
git add LoginTest.java
git commit -m "Update LoginTest comment — version B"

# Try to merge — this WILL conflict
git checkout main
git merge conflict-branch
# CONFLICT! Now resolve it using the steps from lesson 6.

Exercise 3: Practice Stash

1. Create a branch and start editing a file (don't commit)
2. Stash your changes: git stash save "WIP: half-done test"
3. Switch to main, make a quick fix, commit it
4. Switch back to your branch and restore your stash: git stash pop
5. Verify your work-in-progress is back