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GitHub Basic

Introduction to GitHub​

What is GitHub?​

GitHub is like a social media platform for programmers and their code. Just as you share photos on Instagram or updates on Facebook, developers share their code projects on GitHub.

Key Points:

  • Web-based platform that uses Git (a DVCS) for version control
  • Cloud storage for your code projects
  • Collaboration tools for working with others
  • Free and paid plans available
  • Most popular platform for open-source projects

GitHub vs Git: What's the Difference?​

Git is like a notebook you keep at home — you write, erase, and rewrite your ideas. GitHub is like publishing that notebook online so others can read it, suggest edits, or even contribute.

  • Git: The version control system (software)
  • GitHub: A web service that hosts Git repositories online

Or..

  • Think of Git as the engine.
  • GitHub is the garage that stores the car (your project).

Why Use GitHub?​

For Students:

  • Store your projects safely online
  • Show your work to potential employers
  • Collaborate on group projects
  • Learn from others' code
  • Build a portfolio of your work

For Professionals:

  • Industry standard for software development
  • Backup and sync code across devices
  • Collaborate with team members
  • Track bugs and feature requests
  • Deploy applications

Getting Started with GitHub​

Step-by-Step Account Creation:

  1. Visit GitHub.com

  2. Sign Up

    • Click "Sign up" button
    • Choose a username (this will be part of your profile URL)
    • Enter your email address
    • Create a strong password
    • Verify you're human (solve the puzzle)

  3. Choose Your Plan

    • Select "Free" for personal use
    • Free accounts get unlimited public and private repositories

  4. Verify Your Email

    • Check your email inbox
    • Click the verification link

  5. Complete Your Profile

    • Add a profile picture
    • Write a short bio
    • Add your location and website if desired

Instructor will do a live demo

GitHub Fundamentals​

Understanding the GitHub Interface​

When you log into GitHub, you'll see several key areas:

Dashboard (Home Page):

  • Shows activity from people you follow
  • Displays your recent repositories
  • Shows contribution activity (green squares)

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Navigation Bar:

  • Pull requests: Changes you want to merge
  • Issues: Bugs or feature requests
  • Marketplace: Tools and applications
  • Explore: Discover new projects

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Profile Page:

  • Your repositories
  • Contribution graph
  • Activity overview
  • Followers and following

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Basic GitHub Terminology​

Repository (Repo): Think of this as a folder that contains your entire project, including all files and the complete history of changes.

Username: Your unique identifier on GitHub (e.g., @johnsmith)

Organization: A shared account where multiple people can collaborate on projects

Fork: Making your own copy of someone else's project

Star: Like bookmarking a project you find interesting

Watch: Get notifications about activity in a repository

Gist: A simple way to share code snippets

Live demo for the above

Creating Your First Repository​

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. Start Creating

    • Click the "+" icon in the top right corner
    • Select "New repository"

  2. Repository Details

    • Repository name: Choose something descriptive (e.g., "my-first-website")
    • Description: Brief explanation of what this project does
    • Visibility: Choose "Public" (anyone can see) or "Private" (only you can see)

  3. Initialize Repository

    • ✅ Check "Add a README file"
    • Choose a license (MIT License is good for beginners)
    • Choose .gitignore template if needed

  4. Create Repository

    • Click "Create repository"
    • Congratulations! You've created your first repo

live demo

Example Repository Setup:

Repository name: my-study-notes
Description: Collection of my class notes and study materials for university
Visibility: Public
✅ Initialize with README
License: MIT License

Core Concepts: Repository, Commit, Branch​

Repository Deep Dive​

A repository is like a project folder, but much more powerful. It contains:

Files and Folders: Your actual project content History: Complete record of all changes ever made Branches: Different versions of your project Issues: Bug reports and feature requests Wiki: Documentation pages

Repository Structure Example:

my-research-project/
├── research-proposal.md   (main project proposal)
├── literature-review.md   (review of existing research)
├── methodology.md         (research methods)
├── data/                  (folder for research data)
│   ├── survey-results.csv
│   └── interview-notes.txt
├── images/                (folder for charts and graphs)
│   ├── chart1.png
│   └── diagram.jpg
├── README.md              (project description)
└── LICENSE                (usage permissions)

Understanding Commits​

What is a Commit? A commit is like taking a snapshot of your project at a specific moment in time. Each commit records:

  • What files changed
  • What exactly changed in those files
  • Who made the changes
  • When the changes were made
  • A message describing why the changes were made

Commit Message Best Practices:

  • Be clear and descriptive
  • Explain the "why" not just the "what"

Good Commit Messages:

  • ✅ "Add contact form to homepage"
  • ✅ "Fix navigation menu on mobile devices"
  • ✅ "Update README with installation instructions"

Poor Commit Messages:

  • ❌ "Fixed stuff"
  • ❌ "Update"
  • ❌ "asdf"

Making Your First Commit​

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. Navigate to Your Repository

    • Go to your repository page on GitHub
    • You should see your README.md file

  2. Edit a File

    • Click on README.md
    • Click the pencil icon (Edit this file)
    • Add some text about yourself:
    # My Study Notes Repository

    Hello! This is my first GitHub repository where I'll organize my study materials.
    I'm learning about version control systems and digital collaboration.

    ## About Me
    - Student at [Your School Name]
    - Major: [Your Major]
    - Interested in organizing and sharing knowledge

    ## What I'll Store Here
    - Class notes from lectures
    - Study guides for exams
    - Research project materials
    - Group project documents

  3. Commit Your Changes

    • Scroll down to "Commit changes" section
    • Add commit message: "Add personal information and academic goals to README"
    • Add description: "Added basic information about myself, my major, and my learning objectives for this course"
    • Click "Commit changes"

  4. View Your Commit

    • You'll see your changes are now live
    • Click on the commit history to see your commit

live demo

Understanding Branches​

What is a Branch? Think of branches like parallel universes of your project. You can work on different features or experiments without affecting the main version.

Real-World Analogy: Imagine you're writing a story. The main branch is your original story. You create a branch called "alternate-ending" to try out a different conclusion. You can work on this alternate ending without changing your original story. Later, you can decide which ending you prefer.

Default Branch:

  • main: The primary branch (like the trunk of a tree)
  • All other branches stem from main
  • This is the "official" version of your project

Common Branch Names:

  • feature/study-schedule (adding a study schedule document)
  • bugfix/typos-in-notes (fixing spelling errors in notes)
  • experiment/new-format (trying out a new note-taking format)

Creating and Working with Branches​

Step-by-Step Branch Creation:

  1. Create a New Branch

    • In your repository, click the branch dropdown (shows "main")
    • Type a new branch name: "add-study-schedule"
    • Click "Create branch: add-study-schedule"

  2. Work on Your Branch

    • You're now on the new branch (notice the branch name changed)
    • Create a new file: Click "Add file" → "Create new file"
    • Name it "study-schedule.md"
    • Add your study schedule:
    # My Weekly Study Schedule

    ## Monday
    - 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Mathematics Review
    - 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: History Reading
    - 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Science Lab Report

    ## Tuesday
    - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: English Literature Analysis
    - 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Group Project Meeting
    - 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Review Notes

    ## Wednesday
    - 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Mathematics Practice Problems
    - 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Research for Term Paper
    - 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Study Group Session

  3. Commit on Your Branch

    • Add commit message: "Add weekly study schedule"
    • Click "Commit new file"

  4. Switch Between Branches

    • Use the branch dropdown to switch back to "main"
    • Notice that study-schedule.md doesn't exist on main branch
    • Switch back to "add-study-schedule" branch
    • The study-schedule.md file is back!

live demo

Issue Tracking​

What are Issues?​

Issues are GitHub's way of tracking bugs, feature requests, questions, and tasks. Think of them as a to-do list for your project that everyone can see and contribute to.

Types of Issues:

  • Bug Reports: Something is broken and needs fixing
  • Feature Requests: Ideas for new functionality
  • Questions: Need help or clarification
  • Tasks: Work that needs to be done
  • Documentation: Updates needed to docs

Anatomy of a Good Issue​

Essential Components:

  1. Clear Title: Summarizes the issue in one line
  2. Detailed Description: Explains the problem or request
  3. Steps to Reproduce: For bugs, how to recreate the problem
  4. Expected Behavior: What should happen
  5. Actual Behavior: What actually happens
  6. Screenshots: Visual evidence when helpful
  7. Labels: Categories to organize issues
  8. Assignees: Who will work on this

Creating Your First Issue​

Step-by-Step Issue Creation:

  1. Navigate to Issues

    • Go to your repository
    • Click on "Issues" tab
    • Click "New issue"

  2. Write a Bug Report

    Title: Study schedule file has formatting issues

    Description:
    The study-schedule.md file is not displaying properly when viewed on GitHub. The formatting appears broken and some text is not showing correctly.

    Steps to Reproduce:
    1. Go to the main branch of the repository
    2. Click on "study-schedule.md" file
    3. Observe the formatting display

    Expected Behavior:
    The study schedule should display as a well-formatted table with clear time slots and subjects for each day of the week.

    Actual Behavior:
    The schedule appears as plain text without proper markdown formatting, making it difficult to read and understand.

    Suggested Fix:
    Use proper markdown table formatting to make the schedule more readable and organized.

  3. Add Labels

    • Click on "Labels" in the right sidebar
    • Add "bug" label
    • Add "good first issue" if it's easy to fix

  4. Submit the Issue

    • Click "Submit new issue"
    • The issue is now tracked and visible to everyone

Working with Issues​

Issue Lifecycle:

  1. Open: Issue is created and needs attention
  2. Assigned: Someone is working on it
  3. In Progress: Work has started
  4. Closed: Issue is resolved or no longer relevant

Assigning Issues:

  • Click on "Assignees" in the right sidebar
  • Select yourself or a team member
  • This shows who's responsible for the issue

Using Labels:

  • bug: Something is broken
  • enhancement: New feature or improvement
  • documentation: Documentation needs work
  • good first issue: Easy for beginners
  • help wanted: Looking for contributors
  • priority-high: Urgent issues

Commenting in GitHub​

What is a Comment in GitHub?​

A comment in GitHub is a note you can write to explain something, ask a question, or give feedback.
It helps you remember what you were doing and helps others understand your work more easily later — even if that “other person” is future you!

Commenting is not just about talking — it's about making your work easier to understand, track, and improve.

Where Can You Add Comments in GitHub?​

GitHub lets you comment in several places. Here are the most common types for beginners:

1. Issue Comments​

These are notes inside an issue — a place where you describe something that needs to be done, like a bug or a task.

Example:
You create an issue: “Need to fix typo in recipe.”
Then you comment: “The word 'tommato' should be 'tomato' in pasta.txt.”

2. Commit Comments​

These are comments added to a specific commit (a saved version of your work).
Use them to explain or clarify what was done in that version.

Example:
In a commit where you added a new recipe, you comment:
“Added chocolate cake recipe — still needs baking time.”

3. Code Comments (Line Comments)​

These are added to specific lines of code or text in a file.
You can do this when viewing a file or during a code review.

Example:
You click on line 5 of cake.txt and comment:
“Consider listing the number of eggs required.”

How to Add Comments in GitHub (Step-by-Step)​

📝 To Add an Issue Comment:​

  1. Go to the "Issues" tab in your repository.
  2. Click on an issue (or create one).
  3. Scroll down to the comment box.
  4. Type your note and click "Comment".

📝 To Comment on a Commit:​

  1. Go to the "Commits" tab (usually under "Code").
  2. Click on a commit.
  3. Click on the "..." beside a file, then click "Add a comment".
  4. Type your comment and click "Comment".

📝 To Comment on a Specific Line of Code:​

  1. Open a file in the repository.
  2. Hover next to a line number and click the "+" icon.
  3. Type your comment in the box that appears.
  4. Click "Add single comment".

Good Commenting Practices​

Commenting in GitHub is not just about what you say — it's about how you say it.

✅ Be Clear and Helpful​

  • Line 8: This sentence is hard to follow. Consider rewording.
  • Great start! Maybe add ingredients list before instructions.

✅ Be Polite and Encouraging​

  • Nice work! Just a small suggestion for improvement below.
  • ❌ Avoid saying things like "This is bad" — instead, explain what could be better.

✅ Be Specific​

  • The image isn’t loading because the file name is spelled 'imgage.jpg' instead of 'image.jpg'.
  • ❌ Avoid vague comments like "It’s broken" or "Fix this."

Key Points Summary​

Best Practices Checklist​

Repository Management:

  • ✅ Use descriptive repository names
  • ✅ Write clear README files
  • ✅ Choose appropriate licenses
  • ✅ Use .gitignore for unnecessary files
  • ✅ Keep repositories organized

Commit Practices:

  • ✅ Write clear, descriptive commit messages
  • ✅ Make small, focused commits
  • ✅ Commit related changes together
  • ✅ Test before committing

Branching Strategy:

  • ✅ Create branches for new features
  • ✅ Use descriptive branch names
  • ✅ Keep branches focused on single features
  • ✅ Delete merged branches
  • ✅ Regularly sync with main branch

Issue Tracking:

  • ✅ Create issues for bugs and features
  • ✅ Use descriptive titles and descriptions
  • ✅ Apply appropriate labels
  • ✅ Assign issues to team members
  • ✅ Link issues to pull requests
  • ✅ Close issues when resolved

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

Don't Do This:

  • ❌ Commit directly to main branch without review
  • ❌ Write vague commit messages like "updated stuff"
  • ❌ Share personal information or sensitive data in public repositories
  • ❌ Leave assignment answers or exam materials in public repositories

Do This Instead:

  • ✅ Write clear, descriptive commit messages
  • ✅ Break large projects into smaller, manageable pieces
  • ✅ Learn GitHub features gradually and ask for help when needed
  • ✅ Use private repositories for sensitive academic work

Quick Reference Commands​

Essential GitHub Actions (Web Interface):

Repository Management:

  • Create new repository: Click "+" → "New repository"
  • Fork repository: Click "Fork" button on any repo
  • Clone repository: Click "Code" → Copy URL
  • Watch repository: Click "Watch" → Choose notification level

File Management:

  • Create file: "Add file" → "Create new file"
  • Edit file: Click filename → Click pencil icon
  • Delete file: Click filename → Click trash icon
  • Upload files: "Add file" → "Upload files"

Branch Operations:

  • Create branch: Branch dropdown → Type new name → "Create branch"
  • Switch branch: Use branch dropdown menu
  • Compare branches: "Compare" button or pull request interface