My buddy and I are starting a coding project together and we want to use Git for version control. I’ve already created our repo and figured out the basic push/pull workflow, but I’m confused about something important.
Here’s what I’m wondering about: If we’re both working at the same time and we both pull the current version, then we each make changes to different files, what happens when we push our changes back? Will Git automatically merge everything correctly?
My main concern is this scenario: I modify FileA.py and push my changes. Then my friend pushes changes he made to FileB.py, but his local copy still has the old version of FileA.py. Will his push overwrite my changes to FileA.py even though he didn’t modify that file?
I’m worried about accidentally losing each other’s work. Can someone explain how Git handles this situation when multiple people are editing different parts of the same repository?
Git handles this pretty smoothly because of how it’s designed. When your friend tries to push his FileB.py changes after you’ve already pushed your FileA.py changes, Git will reject his push and tell him his local branch is behind the remote one. He’ll need to pull first to get your changes, then Git will merge them automatically since you worked on different files. No conflicts, no lost work. After that merge completes, he can push successfully and both your changes will be there.
no need to sweat it! Git handles this well. when your buddy’s pushing, it’ll tell him he’s behind. he must pull first. since you’re both working on different files, it merges smoothly, no conflicts. you guys are in the clear!
Git won’t let your friend accidentally overwrite your changes. Here’s what actually happens: Git compares commit history, not just file contents. When you push your FileA.py changes, you create a new commit that becomes the repo’s latest version. When your friend tries to push his FileB.py changes later, Git sees his local repo is missing your commit and blocks the push with an error. He’ll need to pull your changes first - Git will merge them automatically since you modified different files. Only then can he push successfully. The key point: Git prevents data loss by making everyone sync to the latest history before pushing new commits.
This is exactly how I learned Git when I started working with my team. Git tracks the entire repo state, not just individual files. When your friend tries to push his FileB.py changes after you’ve already pushed FileA.py, Git will reject it with something like “Updates were rejected because the remote contains work that you do not have locally.” He’ll need to run git pull first to grab your changes. Since you modified different files, Git automatically creates a merge commit that combines both changes. Then he can push successfully. This prevents overwrites and makes sure both your FileA.py and his FileB.py changes end up in the final version.