Version Control and GitHub*

*inspired by Ties de Kok

Version Control

  • Version control is a method of keeping track of changes to a file or group of files over time, allowing users to access and revert to previous versions as needed.
  • Why do you need it?
    • Do you have folders that look something like this?
      essay_v1.2 [20230101]
essay_v1.2.1
essay_20230103_edited_Prof_Li
code_v1.2 (OLD!)
code_v1.1 (DO NOT DELETE!)
    • Version control solves this!

Git

Git

  • How to use version control?
    • The most widely used version control software is called git (Link)
    • You can run git locally, but it is better to use an online provider.
    • Storing your version control online makes it much less likely to lose it!
  • Major providers for git:
    • GitHub
    • BitBucket
    • GitLab
  • It is widely accepted that GitHub is the best choice.

GitHub

  • GitHub is a web-based hosting service for version control using Git.
  • Why do I use GitHub?
    • Clean and easy to use interface
    • Native support for markdown rendering
    • Convenient GitHub Desktop application
    • Free and unlimited private repositories for everyone
    • Integration with GitHub Actions for CI/CD
    • Bonus feature: ability to host webpages for free with GitHub Pages.

GitHub Desktop

Basic Workflow - First Time*

  1. Open GitHub Desktop and select "New repository"
  2. Choose a location for the repository on your computer, and give it a name. Make sure it is not inside any existing git folder
  3. Select the option to include a "README.md" file when creating the repository.
  4. Select the appropriate Git ignore type, depending on the type of project.
  5. Click "Create repository" and make changes to files
  6. Commit changes and then "Publish repository" to GitHub.com

*Note: You can also create a repository on GitHub.com website and then clone it to your computer and work on it.

Basic Workflow - Working on Project*

  1. Sync your local repository with the remote one by "pulling" the latest changes.
    • This ensures that the code is most up-to-date before making changes.
  2. Edit the files in your preferred code editor, such as VSCode.
  3. Before committing, sync your local repository with the remote repository on GitHub by "pulling" or "fetching" the latest changes.
    • This helps you avoid and resolve conflicts.
  4. Create a "commit" to save the changes you have made locally.
  5. Push the commit(s) to the remote repository on GitHub.com.
    • This "uploads" your changes to GitHub, making them available to other collaborators.

*Note: This is a very basic workflow. It is recommended to use Git branching strategy for managing different version of code in parallel and merge them later.

Gitignore file

  • There are a lot of things you don't want to sync with GitHub:

    • Data
    • Credentials
    • "Byproduct" files

  • A .gitignore file allows you to select files that should be automatically ignored by git.

Learn More about Git & GitHub