SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/tech-git-snapshots

How does Git think about the history of your project?

As a series of snapshots of tracked files, not a list of changes.

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  1. As a series of snapshots of the whole project ✔
  2. As a list of line-by-line differences
  3. As one file that is overwritten each save

Why: Many older version control systems store each file's changes over time. Git instead records a snapshot of tracked files at each commit, reusing unchanged files by reference so it does not waste space.

Huh, didn't know that: A normal, non-shallow Git repository keeps its history locally, so browsing old versions does not need a server.

The dad joke
Git takes so many snapshots of my code, it should start a photography business.
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References

Answer: As a series of snapshots of the whole project. Many older version control systems store each file's changes over time. Git instead records a snapshot of tracked files at each commit, reusing unchanged files by reference so it does not waste space.

  1. Pro Git book: What is Git? git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-What-is-Git%3F
    Instead, Git thinks of its data more like a series of snapshots of a miniature filesystem.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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