🏭🗒️Microsoft Fabric: Git [Notes]

Disclaimer: This is work in progress intended to consolidate information from various sources for learning purposes. For the latest information please consult the documentation (see the links below)! 

Last updated: 6-Oct-2025

[Microsoft Fabric] Git

• {def} an open source, distributed version control platform
• enables developers commit their work to a local repository and then sync their copy of the repository with the copy on the server [1]
• to be differentiated from centralized version control 
• where clients must synchronize code with a server before creating new versions of code [1
• provides tools for isolating changes and later merging them back together
• {benefit} simultaneous development
• everyone has their own local copy of code and works simultaneously on their own branches
•  Git works offline since almost every operation is local
• {benefit} faster release
• branches allow for flexible and simultaneous development
• {benefit} built-in integration
• integrates into most tools and products
•  every major IDE has built-in Git support
• this integration simplifies the day-to-day workflow
• {benefit} strong community support
• the volume of community support makes it easy to get help when needed
• {benefit} works with any team
• using Git with a source code management tool increases a team's productivity 
• by encouraging collaboration, enforcing policies, automating processes, and improving visibility and traceability of work
• the team can either
• settle on individual tools for version control, work item tracking, and continuous integration and deployment
• choose a solution that supports all of these tasks in one place
• e.g. GitHub, Azure DevOps
• {benefit} pull requests
• used to discuss code changes with the team before merging them into the main branch
• allows to ensure code quality and increase knowledge across team
• platforms like GitHub and Azure DevOps offer a rich pull request experience
• {benefit} branch policies
• protect important branches by preventing direct pushes, requiring reviewers, and ensuring clean build
•  used to ensure that pull requests meet requirements before completion
•  teams can configure their solution to enforce consistent workflows and process across the team
• {feature} continuous integration
• {feature} continuous deployment
• {feature} automated testing
• {feature} work item tracking
• {feature} metrics
• {feature} reporting 
• {operation} commit
• snapshot of all files at a point in time [1]
•  every time work is saved, Git creates a commit [1]
•  identified by a unique cryptographic hash of the committed content [1]
•  everything is hashed
•  it's impossible to make changes, lose information, or corrupt files without Git detecting it [1]
•  create links to other commits, forming a graph of the development history [2A]
• {operation} revert code to a previous commit [1]
• {operation} inspect how files changed from one commit to the next [1]
• {operation} review information e.g. where and when changes were made [1]
• {operation} branch
•  lightweight pointers to work in progress
•  each developer saves changes to their own local code repository
• there can be many different changes based on the same commit
•  branches manage this separation
• once work created in a branch is finished, it can be merged back into the team's main (or trunk) branch
• main branch
• contains stable, high-quality code from which programmers release
• feature branches 
• contain work in progress, which are merged into the main branch upon completion
•  allows to isolate development work and minimize conflicts among multiple developers [2]
•  release branch
•  by separating the release branch from development in progress, it's easier to manage stable code and ship updates more quickly
• if a file hasn't changed from one commit to the next, Git uses the previously stored file [1]
• files are in one of three states
• {state}modified
• when a file is first modified, the changes exist only in the working directory
•  they aren't yet part of a commit or the development history
•  the developer must stage the changed files to be included in the commit
•  the staging area contains all changes to include in the next commit
•  {state}committed
•  once the developer is happy with the staged files, the files are packaged as a commit with a message describing what changed
•  this commit becomes part of the development history
•  {state}staged
•  staging lets developers pick which file changes to save in a commit to break down large changes into a series of smaller commits
•   by reducing the scope of commits, it's easier to review the commit history to 
• {best practice} set up a shared Git repository and CI/CD pipelines [2]
• enables effective collaboration and deployment in PBIP [2]
• enables implementing version control in PBIP [2]
• it’s essential for managing project history and collaboration [2]
• allows to track changes throughout the model lifecycle [2]
• allows to enable effective governance and collaboratin
•  provides robust version tracking and collaboration features, ensuring traceability
• {best practice} use descriptive commit messages [2]
• allows to ensure clarity and facilitate collaboration in version control [2]
• {best practice} avoid sharing Git credentials [2]
• compromises security and accountability [2]
•  can lead to potential breaches [2]
• {best practice} define a naming conventions for files and communicated accordingly [2]
• {best practice} avoid merging changes directly into the master branch [2]
• {risk} this can lead to integration issues [2]
• {best practice} use git merge for integrating changes from one branch to another [2]
• {benefit} ensures seamless collaboration [2]
• {best practice} avoid skipping merges [2]
• failing to merge regularly can lead to complex conflicts and integration challenges [2]

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References:

[1] Microsoft Learn (2022) DeveOps: What is Git? [link]
[2] M Anand, Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate: Implementing Analytics Solutions Using Microsoft Fabric (DP-600), 2025 

Acronyms:

PBIP - Power BI Project
CI/CD - Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment
IDE - Integrated Development Environments