A Different Approach to Revision and Collaboration

Git for Writers introduces the free and open source distributed content versioning system Git specifically for digital writers. Although Git is originally a tool for software development, it can be used to track history and open up the writing process for any digital formats that are plain text, including XHTML/HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, and even templating systems in PHP (e.g., WordPress or Drupal).

But Git is more than just another tool, however. It suggests an entirely different model of revision and version tracking than track-changes features in word processors. Git and related services, such as GitHub, also offer a model of collaboration that is much more expansive and scalable than wikis.

Git for Writers is structured to support writers working alone, perhaps on different computers (e.g., a laptop and a desktop or wherever), as well as multiple writers working together. For each writing situation, Git for Writers offers a set of concepts, practical hands-on use of Git and related services, and three sample scenarios for how Git can change the is there more to this? - Matt

  • Alone

    • Concepts

      1. Git Versus Track Changes
      2. Maintaining History
      3. Possible Futures
      4. Test Like Nobody’s Watching

    • Hands-On

      1. Git Setups
      2. Creating a New Project
      3. Staging a Commit
      4. Making a Commit
      5. Reviewing History
      6. Rolling Back
      7. Branching Sideways

    • Scenarios

      1. Plain Text To-Do List
      2. Personal Web Site
      3. WordPress Template

  • Wherever

    • Concepts

      1. Git Versus Emailed Files
      2. Into the Woods...
      3. One Project, Many Machines
      4. Starting from Other Than Scratch
      5. ...Back to Civilization
      6. Public/Private

    • Hands-On

      1. GitHub Setup
      2. Pushing
      3. Pulling
      4. Branching
      5. Tagging

    • Scenarios

      1. Remote Backup (By Default)
      2. Research and Writing
      3. Managing Website Updates

  • Together

    • Concepts

      1. Git Versus Wiki
      2. Everybody’s Everything
      3. Optimistic Locking
      4. Conflict Resolution

    • Hands-On

      1. GitHub: Forking
      2. GitHub: Collaborators
      3. Tracking Branches
      4. Pull Requests

    • Scenarios

      1. Organization Website
      2. Collaborative Essay
      3. Git for Writers