**Course Title:** HTML & Web Development Fundamentals: Building Modern Websites **Section Title:** Version Control and Collaboration **Topic:** Managing and merging HTML project versions **Overview** In this topic, we'll explore the essential concepts of managing and merging different versions of an HTML project using Git and GitHub. This will enable you to collaborate more effectively with team members and maintain a record of changes made to your codebase. **Understanding Branches in Git** In Git, a branch is a separate line of development in a repository. It allows you to work on different versions of your codebase independently. To create a new branch, use the following command: ```bash git branch feature/new-feature ``` This command creates a new branch called `feature/new-feature` that is based on the current branch. **Switching between Branches** To switch between branches, use the following command: ```bash git checkout feature/new-feature ``` This command switches your current branch to the `feature/new-feature` branch. **Merging Branches** Once you've completed work on a feature branch, you'll need to merge it into the main branch (usually called `main` or `master`). To merge branches, use the following command: ```bash git merge feature/new-feature ``` This command merges the changes made in the `feature/new-feature` branch into the current branch. **Resolving Merge Conflicts** Sometimes, when merging branches, you may encounter conflicts between the changes made in different branches. To resolve these conflicts, you'll need to manually compare and combine the changes. Let's consider an example: Suppose we have two branches, `feature/new-feature` and `main`. Both branches have a file called `index.html`. The `feature/new-feature` branch has added a new paragraph to `index.html`, while the `main` branch has made changes to the header. When we try to merge the `feature/new-feature` branch into the `main` branch, Git will detect a conflict and output a message indicating that the merge has been paused. To resolve the conflict, we'll need to manually compare the changes made in both branches and combine them into a single version. **Using Git GUI Tools for Merging** While Git GUI tools are not necessary for merging branches, they can make the process easier and more visual. Some popular Git GUI tools include: * GitHub Desktop (https://desktop.github.com/) * Git Kraken (https://www.gitkraken.com/) * Tower (https://www.git-tower.com/) These tools provide a graphical interface for branching, committing, and merging, making it easier to manage and merge different versions of your codebase. **Best Practices for Merging Branches** Here are some best practices to keep in mind when merging branches: * Always merge changes from the main branch into feature branches regularly to stay up-to-date with changes. * Use meaningful branch names that describe the feature or bug fix you're working on. * Use pull requests to review changes before merging them into the main branch. * Test changes thoroughly before merging them into the main branch. **Conclusion** In this topic, we've explored the essential concepts of managing and merging different versions of an HTML project using Git and GitHub. By understanding branches, merging branches, and resolving conflicts, you'll be able to collaborate more effectively with team members and maintain a record of changes made to your codebase. **What's Next?** In the next topic, we'll explore the process of deploying an HTML website using web hosting and domain management. This will enable you to publish your website and share it with the world. **Leave a comment or ask for help** If you have any questions or need help with managing and merging branches, feel free to leave a comment below. We'll be happy to assist you.