What is GitHub and how to use It: a guide for beginners

GitHub is a popular platform for code storage and collaborative project work. It is beneficial for developers who wish to work in a team, allowing them to share their progress. The site is convenient for tracking changes in scripts. With GitHub, you can publish, edit, and discuss program code. Beginners should familiarize themselves with it to collaborate easily with others.

What is Git and Its Relation to GitHub

Git is a distributed version control system designed to track changes in code. It allows users to save and restore previous file revisions, making it indispensable when working on software projects. Its main principle is local storage of repositories, helping developers work autonomously and synchronize revisions with a shared version.

Key functions of Git include:

• Tracking changes
• Branching and merging
• Collaborative work
• Conflict management

GitHub uses Git as the foundation for version control and adds a convenient web interface for collaboration. While Git is intended for local copies on a PC, GitHub serves as a server for storing and testing scripts online, facilitating collaborative development.

How to Register and Create an Account

To use GitHub from scratch, you'll need an account. Registration on the site is straightforward and takes no more than a couple of minutes. The platform offers free plans, with additional paid features available. The main steps involve filling in standard information.

To register on GitHub:

1. Visit github.com and click the "Sign up" button.
2. Enter your username and email address.
3. Create a strong password.
4. Confirm your email by clicking the link sent to your inbox.
5. Set up your profile by adding a photo and personal information.

After registration, you gain access to the interface and can immediately create your first repository—a storage space for your code where script versions are saved. You can start from scratch or import an existing project. Tools for automation can also be connected.

Key Terms and Concepts of GitHub

Effective use of GitHub requires understanding its terms and concepts, which will speed up your workflow. Elements like repositories, branches, commits, and others interact with each other and are crucial for coding.

Fundamental terms include:

• Repository: A storage space for files containing the history of all changes. Developers can create copies to work on and make additions.
• Branches: Allow programmers to work simultaneously on different parts of the project. The default main branch is usually named master or main. Other branches are created for specific tasks.
• Commit: Records changes in repositories. Each commit stores information about who made what changes—essentially a snapshot of the current state.
• Pull Request: Allows you to submit new changes to the main branch. It's a merge request reviewed by other developers to check the code.
• Fork: Creates a copy of another user's repository. You can work on the project independently and then propose your changes via a pull request.
• Merge: Combines changes from one branch into another, usually occurring automatically after a pull request is approved.

Understanding these terms and concepts is key to successful development on the platform. Knowledge of these basics helps developers manage projects effectively, making team collaboration more convenient.

How to Create a New Repository on GitHub and Configure It

To create a repository on GitHub:

1. Log into your account.
2. Click on the "New repository" link.
3. Specify the repository name and choose its visibility—public or private.
4. Add a brief description.

Next steps:

• Initialization: After creation, initialize a local copy on your computer using the command git init in the terminal. This creates a hidden folder containing necessary information.
• Adding Files: Post-initialization, you can add files using git add and git commit. The git add command stages the changes, and git commit records them.
• Pushing Changes: To send changes from your local computer to the online repository, use git push, which uploads commits to the remote server.

Configuring repository settings includes:

• README.md File: Contains a description of the project and is displayed on the repository's main page.
• License: Specifies how others can use your code by adding a standard license.
• .gitignore File: Lists files and folders that should not be tracked by the version control system.

Additional features:

• Issues: A system for tracking tasks and bugs.
• Pull Requests: A mechanism for discussing and reviewing changes before merging.
• GitHub Pages: A service for hosting static websites.
• Actions: A resource for automating workflows.

How to Work with GitHub on a Local PC

Before starting, you need to install Git, which allows you to track code changes and create backups—essential for collaborative development. After installation, you can clone (download) any public repository to your computer using the git clone command in the terminal.

Steps after installing Git:

1. Configure your local user data: name and email.
2. Clone the repository from the server to work on it locally.
3. After making changes, stage them using git add.
4. Commit your changes with git commit.
5. Push the new version to the server using git push.

This setup ensures that changes made on your computer are reflected in the remote repository, allowing for online testing and editing.

Main Git Commands for Working with Repositories

Creating a project on GitHub requires knowledge of essential Git commands. These commands control changes, manage branches, and allow you to send and receive updates, simplifying the project creation process.

Key Git commands:

• git clone: Copies a remote repository to your local computer.
• git add: Adds changes to the staging area.
• git commit: Creates a commit (snapshot of your changes).
• git push: Sends local commits to the remote server.
• git pull: Updates your local repository with changes from the remote server.
• git branch: Creates and manages branches.
• git merge: Merges changes from one branch into another.

Understanding these commands is fundamental for interacting with repositories and ensures stable work with your code.

How to Create New Branches and Work with Them

A branch is a separate line of development, allowing you to experiment with new features without affecting the main version. This is crucial in team environments, enabling each member to work on different tasks simultaneously.

Working with branches involves:

1. Creating a New Branch: Use git branch <branch-name>.
2. Switching Branches: Use git checkout <branch-name> to switch to the desired branch.
3. Merging: After completing your work, merge the code into the main branch with git merge.
4. Deleting a Branch: Remove unnecessary branches using git branch -d <branch-name>.
5. Pushing a Branch to the Server: Use git push origin <branch-name>.

Branches allow developers to work in parallel without interfering with each other, simplifying the process of making corrections and enhancing project manageability.

How to Collaborate on GitHub

Team collaboration on GitHub is streamlined, especially with a large number of participants. The platform offers tools to organize joint efforts, simplifying communication and change synchronization. It allows team members to leave comments and discuss solutions.

Steps for collaborative development:

1. Fork the Repository: Create your copy by clicking the "Fork" button.
2. Create a Pull Request: After making changes, propose them for discussion.
3. Code Review: Team members can comment and suggest edits directly in the repository.
4. Resolve Conflicts: If changes conflict, the platform provides options for resolution.
5. Merge Changes: After approving the pull request, merge the changes into the main version.

Collaborative work simplifies handling large codebases, helps track each developer's contributions, and makes the development process transparent—essential for large-scale projects.

Working with branches and team interaction are key aspects of using the platform. These tools help better organize the process, reduce the likelihood of errors, and speed up task implementation. Mastering the basic functions allows for effective participation in development.

Tips for Effective Work with GitHub

GitHub is a powerful tool, but maximizing its potential requires following best practices. These tips can help streamline your coding process and avoid common pitfalls.

Recommendations:

• Use descriptive commit messages: Helps in quickly finding and understanding changes.
• Create branches for specific tasks: Prevents accidental conflicts and allows parallel development.
• Regularly update forks and branches: Timely synchronization minimizes conflicts.
• Test before committing: Reduces the number of errors and issues.
• Write documentation: Well-documented code and instructions aid team members.

Following these rules makes it much easier and more convenient to use the platform's tools, benefiting the entire team. Mistakes happen even among experienced developers, but minimizing them and speeding up the correction process enhances productivity and quality.

To avoid mistakes:

• Always review changes before committing using git diff: Helps avoid unintended alterations.
• Avoid sending large chunks of code at once: Break changes into small commits to simplify testing and review.
• Avoid direct changes to the main branch: Always use separate branches for fixes and new features.
• Check for conflicts before creating a pull request: Saves time in resolving issues later.
• Coordinate with your team: Prevents duplication and confusion.

Adhering to these recommendations improves your experience with GitHub and reduces the number of problems. The fewer errors, the faster you can complete the project and move on to new tasks.

Working with GitHub is not difficult, but it requires certain skills. Regular practice will help you master all its functions more quickly. Over time, you can not only effectively manage projects but also participate in large team developments.