Project Setup

Follow these steps every time you start a new mini project or the final project.

1. Create the Repo on GitHub

1. Go to github.com and click New Repository (the green button or the + in the top right)
2. Name it something descriptive (e.g., recipe-site, budget-tracker)
3. Set it to Public
4. Check Add a README file
5. Click Create repository

2. Clone to Your Computer

In VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) > type "Git: Clone" > paste your repo URL > choose a folder.

Or in GitHub Desktop: File > Clone Repository > select the repo you just created.

3. Create the File Structure

Inside your project folder, create these files and folders:

your-project/
├── index.html
├── css/
│   └── styles.css
├── js/
│   └── main.js
├── images/
├── PROPOSAL.md
└── README.md

README.md already exists from step 1. Create everything else.

4. Write PROPOSAL.md First

Do this before you write any code.

• What I'm building (one sentence)
• Who it's for or why I'm building it
• Core features (3 to 5 bullets)
• What I don't know yet (things you need to figure out)

5. Activate GitHub Pages

1. Go to your repo on GitHub
2. Click Settings > Pages (left sidebar)
3. Under "Branch," select main and / (root)
4. Click Save
5. Wait a minute, then refresh. You will see your live site URL

This is the same process you used for your personal site.

6. Update README.md

Keep this up to date as your project grows.

• What does this project do?
• Link to the live site
• What did I learn?

7. Link from Your oim3690 Repo

Open the README.md in your main oim3690 repo and update the Projects table with your new repo and live URL. If you haven't set up the table yet, download the README template from the course website.

Quick Reference

Step	When
Create repo + clone	Day 1
Write PROPOSAL.md	Day 1, before coding
Set up file structure	Day 1
Activate GitHub Pages	Day 1
Update README.md	Throughout the project
Link from oim3690 repo	After creating the repo

Last updated: Monday, 6/15/2026