Creating and Managing Projects on GitHub

ansh divy
13 Apr, 2023
GitHub is a web-based platform that provides hosting for software development and version control using Git. It allows developers to store their code in a centralized location, collaborate with other developers on the same project, and track changes to the codebase over time. GitHub is also a great place to showcase your work, build a portfolio, and contribute to open-source projects.

Setting up your GitHub account

To get started with GitHub, you need to create an account. Go to github.com and click on the "Sign up" button in the top right corner. You can sign up using your email address or by connecting your GitHub account to your Google or Facebook account.

Once you've created your account, you'll need to verify your email address and set up your profile. Make sure to choose a username that reflects your identity or brand, and add a profile picture and bio to help other users find and connect with you.

Creating a new repository

A repository is a central location in which data is stored and managed. In GitHub, a repository is used to store a project's codebase, documentation, and other related files. To create a new repository, follow these steps:
  1. Log in to your GitHub account and click on the "+" sign in the top right corner of the page.
  2. Select "New repository" from the dropdown menu.
  3. Give your repository a name and add a description (optional).
  4. Choose whether you want your repository to be public or private.
  5. Initialize your repository with a README file (optional).
  6. Click "Create repository" to create your new repository.
  7. Congratulations! You've just created your first repository on GitHub.
Adding files to your repository

Now that you've created your repository, it's time to add some files to it. There are a few ways to add files to your repository, including using the GitHub web interface, using the command line interface (CLI), or using a Git client such as Sourcetree or GitKraken.

For this tutorial, we'll focus on using the GitHub web interface. To add a file to your repository, follow these steps:

  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Click on the "Add file" button in the top right corner of the page.
  3. Select "Upload files" from the dropdown menu.
  4. Drag and drop the file you want to upload or click on the "choose your files" button to browse for files on your computer.
  5. Add a commit message to describe the changes you've made (e.g. "Added a new file").
  6. Click on the "Commit changes" button to save your changes

Committing changes

When you make changes to your codebase, you need to commit those changes to your repository. A commit is a snapshot of the changes you've made to your codebase. To commit changes, follow these steps:

  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Click on the file you want to make changes to.
  3. Click on the pencil icon to edit the file.
  4. Make the necessary changes to the file.
  5. Add a commit message to describe the changes you've made (e.g. "Updated the README file").
  6. Click on the "Commit changes" button to save your changes.
Creating branches

A branch is a separate version of your codebase that allows you to make changes without affecting the original code. Branches are useful when you want to experiment with new features or bug fixes without affecting the stability of the main codebase.

To create a new branch, follow these steps:
  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Click on the "Branch: main" dropdown menu and type in a name for your new branch.
  3. Click on the "Create branch" button.
  4. Now you can make changes to your code on the new branch without affecting the main codebase. Once you're ready to merge your changes back into the main codebase, you can create a pull request.
Collaborating with others

GitHub is designed for collaboration, so it's easy to invite others to contribute to your project. To add collaborators, follow these steps:

  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Click on the "Settings" tab.
  3. Click on the "Manage access" tab.
  4. Click on the "Invite a collaborator" button.
  5. Type in the username or email address of the person you want to invite.
  6. Select the access level (read, write, or admin).
  7. Click on the "Add [username/email]" button.
  8. The person you've invited will receive an email inviting them to collaborate on your project.
Managing issues and pull requests

Issues and pull requests are essential tools for managing and organizing your project. Issues allow you to track bugs, feature requests, and other tasks, while pull requests allow you to propose changes to the codebase and merge them into the main branch.

To create an issue, follow these steps:
  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Click on the "Issues" tab.
  3. Click on the "New issue" button.
  4. Give your issue a title and description.
  5. Assign the issue to a milestone (optional).
  6. Add labels to categorize the issue (optional).
  7. Click on the "Submit new issue" button.

To create a pull request, follow these steps:
  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Switch to the branch you want to merge into the main branch.
  3. Click on the "New pull request" button.
  4. Select the base branch (the branch you want to merge into).
  5. Select the compare branch (the branch you want to merge from).
  6. Give your pull request a title and description.
  7. Click on the "Create pull request" button.
Deploying your project

Once you've completed your project, you may want to deploy it to a live server or hosting platform. GitHub provides several options for deploying your project, including GitHub Pages and integration with popular hosting platforms such as Heroku and AWS.

To deploy your project using GitHub Pages, follow these steps:
  1. Open your repository in GitHub.
  2. Click on the "Settings" tab.
  3. Scroll down to the "GitHub Pages" section.
  4. Select the branch you want to deploy (usually the main branch).
  5. Choose a theme (optional).
  6. Click on the "Save" button.
Your project will now be deployed to a live website at the URL specified in the GitHub Pages section.

Conclusion
GitHub is an essential tool for developers looking to collaborate on code and manage their projects. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a project on GitHub, commit changes, create branches, collaborate with others, manage issues and pull requests, and deploy your project to a live server.
Whether you're working on a personal project or a large-scale software development project, GitHub provides the tools and resources you need to stay organized and productive. So get started today and see how GitHub can help you take your coding skills to the next level.
Next Post Previous Post