Merge pull request #788 from Vijayaa21/main

added introduction to gitlab

Author: sanjay-kv

docs/GitHub/assets/1-Introduction-to-gitlab.png

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+---
+id: intro-gitlab
+title: Introduction of GitLab
+sidebar_label: Introduction of GitLab #displays in sidebar
+sidebar_position: 2
+tags:
+  [
+    GitLab,
+    Introduction of GitLab,
+    Why learn GitLab,
+    How to use GitLab,
+    GitLab Prerequisites,
+  ]
+description: In this tutorial, you will learn about GitLab, its importance, why learn GitLab, how to use GitLab, prerequisites to get started, and more.
+---
+
+GitLab is a web-based DevOps lifecycle tool that provides a **Git repository manager**, issue tracking, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and more. It is similar to GitHub but focuses heavily on providing an **all-in-one platform** for software development and DevOps.
+
+:::note
+Key Features of GitLab:
+- GitLab is not only a Git-based repository management tool but also provides **built-in CI/CD pipelines**.  
+- Unlike GitHub, GitLab can be **self-hosted** as well as used on the cloud (GitLab.com).  
+- GitLab offers <a href="https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/">Premium Plans</a> with advanced CI/CD, security, compliance, and scalability features.
+:::
+
+---
+
+## How to start with GitLab?
+
+When developers create new projects or collaborate on existing ones, they need a place to host, version, and automate their workflows. GitLab provides this with the **additional advantage of integrated DevOps tools** such as issue boards, pipelines, and monitoring.
+
+Other alternatives include GitHub, Bitbucket, and Azure Repos. GitLab is often preferred in organizations where **self-hosting** and **end-to-end DevOps** automation are critical.
+
+:::info
+In the picture below, you can see multiple developers working on the same project. For example, Developer 1 handles the backend APIs, Developer 2 builds the frontend interface, and Developer 3 manages CI/CD pipeline setup.
+
+Each developer works on their local copy of the repository and pushes their changes to the **remote GitLab repository**. After a merge request (MR) review, the maintainer merges the changes into the main branch. GitLab can then automatically trigger a **pipeline** to build, test, and deploy the new version of the project.
+:::
+
+<BrowserWindow url="https://gitlab.com/" bodyStyle={{padding: 0}}>    
+   [![GitLab Dashboard](./assets/1-Introduction-to-gitlab.png)](https://about.gitlab.com/)
+</BrowserWindow>
+
+---
+
+## Why Learn GitLab?
+
+GitLab is more than just version control—it provides a complete DevOps platform.  
+Here’s why you should learn it:
+
+1. **Integrated DevOps** – GitLab includes planning, coding, testing, security, deployment, and monitoring in one place.  
+2. **Self-hosting option** – Unlike GitHub, GitLab allows organizations to run GitLab on their own servers.  
+3. **Automation with CI/CD** – GitLab’s pipelines make testing and deployment faster and less error-prone.  
+4. **Collaboration** – Teams can manage issues, boards, milestones, and code reviews easily.  
+5. **Industry demand** – Many companies prefer GitLab for its **security compliance** and DevOps workflows.  
+
+---
+
+## How to Learn GitLab?
+
+To get started with GitLab, here are the recommended steps and prerequisites:
+
+:::info
+### 🔑 Prerequisites:
+- **Basic Git Knowledge**: Understand commands like `git clone`, `git add`, `git commit`, `git push`.  
+- **Programming Knowledge**: Any language is fine (Python, JavaScript, Java, etc.).  
+- **Command Line Basics**: Comfortable using a terminal (Linux, macOS, or Windows PowerShell).  
+- **Optional (for CI/CD)**: Docker basics, YAML syntax (for writing pipeline configs).
+
+---
+
+### 📝 Learning Path:
+1. **Create an account** on [GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com/).  
+2. **Install Git** on your system to interact with GitLab repositories.  
+3. **Start a new project** or fork an existing repository.  
+4. **Explore GitLab features**: issues, merge requests, labels, and boards.  
+5. **Learn GitLab CI/CD** by creating `.gitlab-ci.yml` for automating builds/tests.  
+6. **Advance**: Learn GitLab Runners, environment variables, and deployment.  
+
+![GitLab Workflow](./assets/2-gitlab-workflow.png)
+:::
+
+---
+
+### Watch the video Tutorial
+<iframe width="880" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HSV-Kky9N5E" title="GitLab Beginner Tutorial | How to start with GitLab in 2024" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+---
+
+## Conclusion
+
+GitLab is not just a code hosting tool—it’s a **complete DevOps ecosystem**. By learning GitLab, you gain both Git skills and practical experience with **automation pipelines, deployments, and project management tools**.  
+
+In the next tutorial, we will explore how to create your first GitLab project, push code to it, and set up a CI/CD pipeline.

docs/GitHub/assets/2-gitlab-workflow.png

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const sidebars: SidebarsConfig = {
       className: 'custom-sidebar-github',
       items: [
         'GitHub/intro-github',
+        'GitHub/intro-gitlab',
         {
           type: 'category',
           label: '⚙️ Setup Environment',