Have you ever broken something in your project and wished you could go back in time? Or wanted to share your code with the world but weren't able to? That’s where Git and Github come in. They make saving changes, sharing and collaborating easy :D
Why Git? And What Is It Anyway?
If you ever made a project, you would be familiar with something like this:
Git lets you unify all this into a SINGLE folder!
Now, what is Git exactly?
Git is a version control tool that keeps track of all the changes you make in your project. It lets you experiment with new features safely and collaborate with others without breaking anything.
Think of it as a time machine for your code where you can go back, explore past versions and undo mistakes. Maybe even look at Linus Toravlds' past commits for Linux and fix some bugs!
Isn't it cool to have the power to jump back to any version of your project, whenever you want?
And when you power Git with Github, it opens the door to a world of endless possibilities!
- You can share your projects online so anyone can see or use them.
- You can collaborate globally on projects with friends or contributors.
- You can contribute to open-source projects and learn from code written by others.
You are no longer restricted to your just friends or your college. The world is your playground! It's like unlocking a whole new superpower ;)
Creating a Repository
Creating a repo in Github is easy.
Go to your Profile, and click on the NEW button
Then, type in the name of the repository and click on Create Repository
TADA! Now you have your very own repo!
Btw, you can change the visibility later on too. Just go to Settings.
Forking and Cloning Repositories
Let's say you want to contribute to someone's repository or maybe, even an open source project! But what's the best way to do that?
Well, that’s where Forking comes in. 'Forking' a repository means creating your own copy of the repository so you can experiment and make changes safely without affecting the original project.
And how is that done?
How to fork a repository
Click on Fork
Then, click on Create Fork
Now that you have your own copy of the repository, you might be wondering how to work with it on your local system. This is where Cloning comes in!
Cloning the Repository
This lets you copy the repository to your local system so you can work on it locally.
Run git clone <insert-the-repo-link>
and where do you find this URL?
[!NOTE] Click on SSH and copy link if you have the SSH Setup!
Working with Branches
Hmm.... what if I want to experiment with a feature? Is there any way to do that without having to create multiple folders?
YES! Branches let you create multiple parallel versions that you can safely work. Once you are satisfied, you can merge them to the main branch.
Interesting, isn't it? But how do you make a new branch?
Run the following commands in your terminal:
# Check which branch you are on
git branch
# Create a new branch and switch to it
git checkout -b your-new-branch-name
# Switch to an existing branch
git checkout name-of-the-branch
Git Commits
Remember we talked about exploring past versions? But how are these versions made?
Commits let you do all these cool stuff. They let you take a snapshot of your project at a point in time.
Before committing, make sure you’ve added all the files you want to track:
# Add specific files
git add file1 file2
# Or add all changes
git add .
Then, commit your changes with a message:
git commit -m "Describe your changes"
We recommend using Commit Conventions to keep your messages clear.
[!Tip] Pull latest changes before you start work and before you push, to avoid conflicts and keep your branch up to date.
# If you're working directly on main
git pull origin main
# If you're on a feature branch
git pull origin your-branch-name
It's important to note that these latest commits stay on your local system until you Push them:
# Push changes to the main branch
git push origin main
# Push changes to a different branch
git push origin your-branch-name
An example:
Pull Requests
Once you’ve made changes on your branch and committed them, it’s time to share your work with the original project. That’s what a Pull Request (PR) does.
A PR is basically saying:
“Hey, I made some changes! Can you review them and merge them into the main project?”
How to create a PR
Click on Compare & pull request
Then, write a description of the changes you made, double-check the branches at the top, and click Create Pull Request.
More places to learn from!
That brings us to the end of the blog.
We’ve covered most of the basics of Git and GitHub here. There’s still a lot more to explore, for example, things like merge conflicts, rebasing and deeper Git workflows.
Maybe we’ll dive into those in our next Git blog! ^^