So, you’ve made the wise decision to explore the world of Github! This amazing tool has become a staple for countless developers and tech enthusiasts around the world. “How Do I Use Github” is here to help you navigate this platform with ease. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed steps on creating a GitHub account, setting up a repository, committing, branching, merging, and much more. You may feel like you’re stepping into unknown territory, but fret not! With a little patience and practice, you’ll become comfortable navigating Github in no time.
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Understanding Github
In the age of technology, understanding and utilizing the digital tools at your disposal can give you a considerable edge. One such tool is Github, a platform that holds immense power when navigated correctly.
What is Github?
At its core, Github is a version-control system that is used for tracking changes in any set of files, usually supporting collaborative work on those files along the way. Built on Git, a distributed version-control system developed by Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, Github allows multiple people to work on a project simultaneously without overriding each other’s work.
Why should I use Github?
Github offers a multitude of benefits. It allows you to collaborate on projects with your team in a managed and systematic way, share your projects with the open-source community, and contribute to other’s projects, among other things. Moreover, it offers you good exposure to the professional developers’ world and can help you in showcasing your work or building your portfolio.
How does Github work?
Github works by saving your files in repositories. When you work on your files, it tracks the changes made by everyone on your team. You can add or remove files, roll back changes, and even branch off to create different versions of your files.
Setting Up a Github Account
Now that you understand the basics of Github let’s proceed with setting up your Github account.
Steps to create a Github account
Creating a Github account is as easy as pie. All you need is a valid email address. Visit the Github website and click on ‘Sign Up.’ You’ll be required to fill in your chosen username, email address, and a password. Confirm your details, and voilà! You have your Github account ready.
Setting up your profile
A well-set profile can give a good impression to fellow developers on Github. On your profile page, click the ‘Edit profile’ button and enter your details. You can choose a profile picture, write a short bio, and even provide links to your blog or personal website.
Security measures
Security should always be your priority, and Github gives you multiple options to keep your account secure. You can enable two-factor authentication, where you’ll need to provide a second piece of information, like a code texted to your phone, before you can log in. Also, be sure to keep your password strong and unique.
Navigating the Github Interface
Understanding the Github interface can be a bit overwhelming at first, but with time, you’ll become proficient.
Overview of the Homepage
On the Github homepage, you’ll see the dashboard with an overview of all your repositories, updates from the developers you follow, a notification feed, and an explore section, offering you a view of the trending repositories.
Understanding Repositories
A repository or ‘repo’ is where your project work happens. It holds all your project’s files and each file’s revision history. Repositories can be public or private, and you can invite collaborators to work with you on your public repos.
Exploring Commits and Pull Requests
Commits are individual changes to a file (or set of files). Every time you save your changes, it creates a unique ID that allows you to go back to any changes you’ve made. Pull requests let you inform others about the changes you made in their repositories. Once a pull request is opened, you can review, discuss, and, if required, add more commits to it.
Creating Your First Repository
Once you get comfortable navigating Github, it’s time for you to create your first repository.
What is a Repository?
As mentioned earlier, a repository contains all the files for your project, including the revision history for every file. It’s like a folder for your project, essential for every Github user because without it, you can’t work on any project.
Steps to create a Repository
Creating a new repository is quite easy. Click on the ‘+ New repository’ button on your homepage, provide a name for your repository, describe it, set it to public or private, and you’re good to go.
Managing your Repository
Managing your repository is quite an important task. You can add, modify, or delete files, manage branches, create commits, and even add collaborators to your project.
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Working With Branches
Working with branches is a crucial part of using Github. They let you work on your project without affecting the original or ‘master’ version.
Understanding Branches in Github
In Github, the repository is like a tree trunk, and the branches extend from it. While the ‘master’ branch is the main branch containing the final version, you can create separate branches for developing different features or testing new ideas.
Creating a Branch
To create a branch, click on the ‘Branch: master’ dropdown on your repository page, enter a branch name in the textbox, and hit the ‘Create branch’ button.
Renaming and Deleting Branches
To rename a branch, you need to navigate to your new branch and click on the dropdown under ‘Branch.’ You can delete a branch by clicking the ‘Delete’ icon available next to each branch.
Understanding and Making Commits
Making commits is a common task on Github. Every change you make in your repository should ideally be followed by a commit.
What is a Commit?
Each commit is like a snapshot of your work at a certain point in time. It helps you keep track of the changes and roll back to a previous version if needed.
Making your first Commit
To make a commit, make some changes to your file, write a brief description of what you’ve changed, then click the ‘Commit changes’ button.
Reverting or altering Commits
If you made a mistake in your commit, Github allows you to revert those changes. You can revert your individual commits or a bunch of them together.
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Working With Pull Requests
Pull requests play a pivotal role in contributing to other projects on Github.
What is a Pull request?
Pull requests are a way to propose changes to a project. They inform the project owner about the changes you did and ask for their approval. It encourages discussion about the changes and helps create a better final product.
How to create a Pull request
To create a pull request, navigate to the repository and click on the pull request tab. Click the ‘New pull request’ button, choose the branches that you want to compare and confirm the changes. If everything seems good, click ‘Create pull request’ and provide a description of the changes.
Managing received Pull requests
As a repository owner, you may receive pull requests from contributors. You can view these requests, review the changes, discuss them, and finally, either accept and merge the changes or reject them.
Issues and Discussions
Github provides platforms for you to discuss problems and ask questions through issues and discussions.
Starting and managing issues
Issues are a way to track bugs, enhancements, or other requests relevant to your project. To start an issue, navigate to your repository, click on the ‘Issues’ button, and then ‘New Issue’. Give a title and a description of your issue and assign it to someone, add labels to make it clear and submit.
Engaging in Discussions
Github Discussions is a place for the community to connect, share, learn, and collaborate outside the codebase. It’s a space to ask and answer questions, share ideas, and collaborate with your peers.
Closing issues and Discussions
When an issue is resolved or a discussion reaches a conclusion, it’s necessary to close them. You can close an issue by clicking the ‘Close issue’ button. Similarly, you can close a discussion by converting it to an ‘Answered’ discussion.
Understanding Forks and Clones
Forks and clones are important components of Github, providing you more freedom while working on projects.
What are Forks and Clones?
Forks are copies of a repository that sit in your account. Clones, on the other hand, are copies of the repository that exist on your local machine, letting you work offline.
How to Fork a Repository
Forking a repository is pretty straightforward. Navigate to the repository you want to fork and click on the ‘Fork’ button at the top right of the page. Github will create a copy of that repository in your account.
Cloning a Repository to your local machine
On the Github page of the repository you want to clone, click the ‘Code’ button, then click ‘Download ZIP’. Extract the files to your preferred location, and you now have a local copy that you can work on off-line.
Github Best Practices
While you’re now well-equipped to navigate Github, here are some best practices to remember while working on Github.
Effective use of Readme files
A well-written Readme file can greatly enhance the visibility and comprehension of your project. It’s the first file that Github users see when they visit your repository. So, make sure you summarize your project comprehensively and clearly.
Commit message best practices
Commit messages are a way to communicate the changes you’ve made. A good commit message can help others understand your changes better. Try to keep them concise, clear, and pertinent to the changes made.
Collaborative workflows
Github highly promotes collaboration, letting you work with your peers seamlessly. Make full use of Github’s features like pull requests, forks, and issues to make your collaborative experience smoother.
To wrap up, Github is a powerful platform that enables you to work on projects together with your team and share them with the Github community. Explore it, play with it, and you’ll be amazed at how much it can help you in pushing your projects to completion. Happy coding!
