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Exercise 1: Core Workflow — Edit, Stage, Commit

Goal: Learn the fundamental Git workflow using VS Code's Source Control panel.

Scenario: You are starting a personal recipe book. Each recipe is a text file. No coding knowledge needed!

Before You Start

Open VS Code and use the terminal inside it (Terminal → New Terminal) for the few setup steps that require it. Everything else will use the Source Control panel (the icon that looks like a branch on the left sidebar, or press Ctrl+Shift+G / Cmd+Shift+G).

Part A: Create Your Repository

  1. In the terminal, create and open a new folder:

    mkdir recipe-book && cd recipe-book && code .

  2. In VS Code, open the Source Control panel (Ctrl+Shift+G). Click "Initialize Repository".

    VS Code runs git init for you — no command needed!

  3. The Source Control panel is now active. Notice it shows 0 changes — your repository is empty.

Part B: Your First Commit

  1. Create a new file: In the Explorer panel, click the New File icon and name it pancakes.txt.

  2. Add this content and save (Ctrl+S):

    Simple Pancakes
================
Ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, butter
Mix everything together and cook on a hot pan.

  3. Switch to the Source Control panel. You'll see pancakes.txt listed under Changes with a U badge (Untracked).

  4. Stage the file: Hover over pancakes.txt and click the + (Stage Changes) icon next to it. The file moves to Staged Changes.

  5. Write a commit message: Click in the message box at the top of the Source Control panel and type:

    Add pancakes recipe

  6. Commit: Click the ✓ Commit button (or press Ctrl+Enter).

    The changes are now saved to Git history!

Part C: Edit, View Diff, and Commit Again

  1. Open pancakes.txt and add a new line at the end:

    Flip after 2 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.

    Save the file.

  2. In the Source Control panel, click on pancakes.txt under Changes. VS Code opens a diff view — additions are shown in green, removals in red.

    This is the VS Code equivalent of git diff.

  3. Stage the file (+ icon), write the message Add flipping instructions to pancakes, and commit.

Part D: Add More Files

  1. Create omelette.txt in the Explorer and add:

    Cheese Omelette
================
Ingredients: eggs, cheese, salt, pepper
Beat eggs, pour into pan, add cheese, fold and serve.

  2. Stage and commit with the message Add cheese omelette recipe.

Part E: Ignoring Files

Sometimes you have files you don't want Git to track (temp files, editor backups, etc.).

  1. Create a file called notes.tmp in the Explorer. Add any text to it and save.

  2. In the Source Control panel you'll see it listed as untracked. To tell Git to ignore it:

    • Create a new file called .gitignore in the Explorer.
    • Add this line and save: 
      *.tmp

  3. Notice notes.tmp disappears from the Source Control panel — Git is now ignoring it.

  4. Stage .gitignore and commit with the message Add .gitignore to exclude temp files.

Reflection Questions

  1. What is the difference between an untracked file and a modified file in the Source Control panel?
  2. Why do we stage changes before committing, instead of committing directly?
  3. What happens if you close VS Code without committing — are your file edits lost?