Master GitHub: From Beginner to Expert in 46 min

Introduction

This tutorial aims to guide you through the essential steps for effectively using GitHub, a popular platform for version control and collaboration in software development. Whether you're a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, this guide will cover creating repositories, managing branches, making commits, and merging changes through pull requests.

Step 1: Create a GitHub Account

• Visit the GitHub website.
• Click on the "Sign up" button.
• Fill in your details, including username, email, and password.
• Verify your email address to activate your account.

Step 2: Create a New Repository

• Once logged in, click on the "+" icon in the top-right corner.
• Select "New repository."
• Fill in the repository name and description.
• Choose between public or private repository settings.
• Optionally, initialize the repository with a README file.
• Click "Create repository" to finalize.

Step 3: Clone the Repository Locally

• Open your terminal or command prompt.
• Use the command:

  git clone [repository-url]
  

  Replace [repository-url] with the URL of your new repository.

Step 4: Create and Manage Branches

• Navigate into your cloned repository folder:

  cd [repository-name]
  

• Create a new branch with:

  git checkout -b [branch-name]
  

  Replace [branch-name] with your desired branch name.
• To view all branches, use:

  git branch
  

Step 5: Make Changes and Commit

• Open files in the repository using your preferred code editor.
• After making changes, save the files.
• Stage the changes for commit:

  git add [file-name]
  

  Use git add . to stage all changes.
• Commit the changes with a message:

  git commit -m "Your commit message"
  

Step 6: Push Changes to GitHub

• Push your committed changes to the GitHub repository:

  git push origin [branch-name]
  

Step 7: Create a Pull Request

• Go back to your GitHub repository page.
• Click on the "Pull requests" tab.
• Click "New pull request."
• Select the branch you want to merge into the main branch.
• Review changes and click "Create pull request."
• Optionally, add comments and assign reviewers.
• Click "Create pull request" to submit.

Step 8: Merge Pull Request

• After the reviews, navigate back to the pull request.
• Click "Merge pull request" to merge changes into the main branch.
• Confirm the merge.

Conclusion

You have now mastered the essential steps for using GitHub, from creating a repository to merging changes through pull requests. Continue exploring advanced features such as issue tracking, collaborating with teams, and using GitHub Actions to automate workflows. By practicing these steps, you will gain confidence in managing projects effectively on GitHub.