GitHub is a wonderful tool for beginner programmers to learn how to use. It allows for saving code to the cloud and continuous integration. In order to use GitHub developers commit, or add, changes to code in a shared repository, or folder. This allows teams to work together and resolve issues early in the development process.
1. Open GitHub in a Browser Pull up GitHub here.
2. Login or Create Account If you are creating an account, remember to save your password!
3. Create a New Repo
Once you have successfully logged in, there will be a sidebar on the left of your screen. Click on the green new
button with the book label.
4. Follow the Steps to Add Basic Information
Ensure No template
is selected. We are not using a template today, but you are welcome to experiment with this in the future.
Choose a repository name. This should be unique, which the site will tell you. You can also add a description to your repository.
Decide public or private. This is your personal preference.
Select Add a README file
. This includes a blank initial file in your repository.
When you are done select the green create repository
button.
5. Click the Green Code Button
At this point, your repository will have opened up. In order to get a copy on your own machine, select the green code
button in the top right corner.
6. Choose the Clone Option
Chose the copy link button under the Clone
section in order to get the repository copied to your clipboard.
7. Open VS Code Using VS code, which you can download and install here, editing code is much easier. Terminals are included in the IDE for easy access.
8. Select Clone Git Repository
Select the clone git repository option on the hope page, under the start panel.
9. Paste in the Copied link
Paste in the link we copied from GitHub into the box that says provide repository URL
. Select Clone from URL.
10. Select or Create folder Choose where you want to locally find this code.
11. Open Repository
Find a way to open the new cloned repository. There may be a popup on the right corner offering to open it. If you cannot find that you may select the Open Folder
option in the start menu.
12. Find README Open the README file, which you should see in the left side bar. Clicking on it will open it.
13. Edit the Code Add your changes to the code. The README is written in markdown. I just added a description to the repository.
# helloworld
This is a repository for teaching GitHub basics.
14. Save Save your changes. You can also add more folders or files in any language. GitHub can handle it all.
15. Open a Terminal
Hover over the Terminal
Header and select New Terminal
.
16. Add Changes
Click into the terminal and type in the command git add .
. This will save your changes.
17. Commit Changes
Use the command git commit -m “added readme description”
to commit your changes with a message. You can decide what you want to write inside the quotes.
18. Pull
Use the git pull
command before pushing your changes up to the GitHub. This ensure that any changes a teammate has made is in your local branch.
19. Push
Run the git push
command. This will send any changes back to GitHub.
In order to check that your changes were saved you can head back to GitHub. You will see a time stamp and commit message on the file.