Continuing collaboration with Grammar school: Git basics with ProductDock

We are proud to continue our collaboration with the Jovan Dučić Grammar School in Doboj. Following last year’s successful partnership, we once again had the pleasure of supporting and motivating students to pursue the development of their IT skills.

Our software engineer and former student of this school, Magdalena Šljivić, delivered an engaging talk on the basics of Git — one of the most important tools in modern software development.

Understanding Version Control systems: Why Git matters for beginners

In the opening part of her presentation, Magdalena introduced students to the concept of a Version Control System (VCS) and explained why learning Git for beginners is an essential tool in software engineering.

She described how a VCS tracks all changes made to files, prevents data loss, and enables teams to work together efficiently. In cases where an error occurs, it allows users to revert to a stable version of the code — saving time and ensuring smoother collaboration.

What is Git and why it matters

Magdalena then introduced Git, a free and open-source version control system designed for both small and large projects.

She explained that Git keeps a detailed history of every change made in a project, including who made the change and when. This allows developers to compare versions, fix issues easily, and maintain a clear, organized structure of their work. All project versions are safely stored and can be backed up as needed, making Git a reliable foundation for any development process.

Exploring Git’s core concepts

To help students better understand how Git works, Magdalena conducted a brief Gif tutorial for beginners, demonstrating its basic concepts:

Repository

The main folder that contains the project and its complete history of changes.

Commit

Records changes made to one or more files, similar to saving a checkpoint in a video game.

Branch

A separate version of the project for developing new features without affecting the main codebase.

Merge

Combines changes from one branch back into another, usually into the main project.

She then continued with fundamental Git functions:

• Push / Pull – Simplifies working across multiple devices; Push uploads changes to a shared repository, while Pull downloads the latest version.
• Revert / Reset – Enables returning to previous versions; Revert creates a new commit to undo changes, while Reset deletes everything after a chosen point.
• Compare (diff) – Helps visualize and understand differences between project versions.

Key takeaways

Together with the students, Magdalena summarized the most important benefits of using Git:

• Safe from errors – Easy to track when and where an error occurred, ensuring confidence in the integrity of the code.
• Clear insight – Provides answers to key questions like why and when a change was made, and who made it.
• Ready for changes – Simplifies collaboration and supports experimentation without risking the main version of the project.

Looking ahead

Magdalena’s talk served as a theoretical introduction to the upcoming ProductDock workshop, where students will get hands-on experience with Git and learn how to apply version control in real development scenarios.

At ProductDock, we believe that sharing knowledge is one of the most powerful ways to drive growth — both for individuals and the community.

We’re excited to continue inspiring young minds and collaborate with grammar school in Doboj, helping them gain valuable technical knowledge, and preparing them for future challenges in software engineering.

So, keep an eye out for our next knowledge-sharing event.