Complete Git and GitHub Tutorial Notes

Introduction

• Overview of Git and GitHub from scratch.
• Covers beginner concepts as well as intermediate ones.

What is Git and GitHub?

• Git: A version control system for tracking changes in code.
• GitHub: A platform for hosting Git repositories online for collaboration.

Use Cases for Git

• Collaborating on projects with multiple contributors
• Going back to a previous state of the codebase (e.g., reversing changes that caused errors).

Key Concepts

• Repository: A folder where changes are saved.
• Version Control: System that records changes to files over time.

The Git Workflow

1. Install Git: Download from gitscm.com for macOS, Windows, or Linux.
2. Set Up a Project:
   • Create a project folder using command mkdir project.
   • cd project to change into the project directory.
   • Initialize Git repository with git init.

Tracking Changes

• To check status of files: git status
• To add a file: git add filename
• To commit changes: git commit -m "commit message"

Basic Git Commands

• git init: Initializes a new Git repository.
• git add: Stages changes for the next commit.
• git commit: Records changes with a message.
• git status: Shows the status of working directory and staging area.
• git log: Views the commit history.
• git remote: Links to a remote repository.

Branching in Git

• Branches allow different features and bug fixes to be developed in isolation.
• Main Branch: The primary branch where the code is stable.
• Creating Branches: Use git branch branch-name and then git checkout branch-name.

Pull Requests

• A way to propose changes to a repository.
• A pull request notifies the repository maintainers of your changes and asks for them to be merged.

Merging Changes

• Once changes are finalized, merge into the main branch using git merge branch-name.
• Do not commit directly to the main branch.

Dealing with Conflicts

• Conflicts occur when two changes collide on the same line.
• Git prompts the user to resolve any conflicts before merging.

Fetching and Updating

• To keep your fork of a project up-to-date with the upstream repository, use git fetch and git merge commands.

Conclusion

• Practical experience is important for mastering Git and GitHub.
• Encourage to experiment with creating branches, making commits, resolving conflicts, and creating pull requests.

Call to Action

• Links to Git cheat sheets and other resources will be provided.
• Follow along with practical exercises in a community classroom setting.