Submodule

Add a submodule and complete the update flow.

What Is a Git Submodule?

A submodule lets you use one Git repository inside another repository as a separate repository. Instead of including the submodule's files directly in its own commit history, the main repository tracks a reference to a specific submodule commit. This is useful for including shared libraries or independently developed components.

git submodule add https://example.com/library.git libs/library

The submodule URL and tracked commit information are recorded in the main repository.

Exercise Add a Submodule to the Repository

Add the repository at https://example.com/shared.git as a submodule in the libs/shared directory. After running the command, Git creates the submodule entry and the .gitmodules file.

Exercise Initialize and Update Submodules

Assume that you have cloned the main repository on another computer. Initialize all registered submodules and update them to the commits referenced by the main repository. Include nested submodules in the operation.

Test yourself

Which command adds another Git repository to a project as a separate repository?
- git submodule remove
- git branch add
- git remote delete
- git submodule add
Show answer

git submodule add — <code>git submodule add</code> adds the specified repository to the main project as a submodule.

Initialize and Update a Submodule

git submodule update --init --recursive____

Show answer

git submodule update --init --recursiveupdate --init

Submodule Commands

submodule add

Adds a new submodule
update --init

Initializes and updates a submodule
--recursive

Also processes nested submodules
.gitmodules

Stores submodule URLs

Next lesson: Hook

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