In this post we will go into using git with Github in order to version control and track your code.
Github and Version Control
Introduction
Version Control is one of the most important concepts when getting started with learning to code. Think of it as the save function in a video game. If we were to not have the ability to save our progress, and something went wrong and we lost our code, we would need to start all over from the beginning and recreate it. With git, we have a means of saving and tracking our progress so that we can keep our code safe. With Github, we have a platform and visual interface that makes this process easier.
Video Guide
Definitions
- Git:
“Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency."
- Github:
“GitHub, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that provides hosting for software development and version control using Git. It offers the distributed version control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git, plus its own features."
Examples
Setting up a repository
Initialize repo
mkdir ~/example-repo
cd ~/example-repo
git init
Create Readme File
touch README.md
Check Git Status to See Untracked File
git status
Add File to Staging
git add README.md
Check Git Status to See Staged File
git status
Commit Staged File Changes
git commit -m "example commit message"
Check Git Status to Ensure File was Committed
git status
Add Remote Repository
git remote add origin https://github.com/example-user/example-repository.git
Push Committed File to History
git push -u origin main
Check Git Status to Ensure Local Repo Up to Date with Remote Repo
git status
Modify Readme File
echo 'example repo' > README.md
Check Git Status to See Unstaged Changes
git status
Stage New File Changes
git add README.md
Commit Staged File Changes
git commit -m "updated example file"
Check Git Status to Ensure File was Committed
git status
Push Committed File to History
git push -u origin main
Check Git Status to Ensure Local Repo Up to Date with Remote Repo
git status
Summary
We went into some of the fundamentals of Git and how to set up remote tracking and version control through Github. Using these techniques, you can save your progress as you code and track these changes remotely so your code never gets lost.
Feel free to reach out with any questions and I will do my best to answer and help!
