Fullstack Javascript
Course Notes
01 - VSCode, Git and GitHub
6. GitHub

6. GitHub

What is GitHub?

  • GitHub is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration
  • It provides a UI for your git repository, providing you not only with a place to host it, but also a way to easily view files, see commits, etc.
    • GitHub is not git

Common GitHub Tasks

  1. Forking a Repository

    • Forking a repository creates a personal copy of someone else’s repository under your GitHub account.
    • It’s commonly used when you want to work off of another project, but don’t want to disrupt the original repository
      • As an example, you might fork a getting started repo and use that to start your own projects
    • Steps:
      • Navigate to the repository you want to fork.
      • Click the “Fork” button at the top right corner of the page.
      • GitHub creates a copy of the repository in your account, where you can make changes.

  2. Cloning a Repository

    • Cloning a repository is a git command, to copy a remote git repository to your local machine.
    • GitHub makes it super easy to clone any of their repos
    • Cloning is necessary for working on the code locally when it is originally stored on a remote server, like GitHub
    • Steps:
      • Navigate to the repository on GitHub.
      • Click the “Code” button and copy the repository URL.
      • Run the following command in your terminal:
        git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git

  3. Making a Pull Request

    • A pull request (PR) is a request to merge changes from one branch into another
      • Aka, a request to pull the changes made on one branch into another. The name comes from the git pull command frequently used to accomplish this
    • Useful for submitting contributions, code reviews, or requesting feedback before merging changes.
    • Pull requests allow for code review, by providing a place for people to comment on changes as well as explicitly add their approval
    • Steps:
      • Push your changes to a branch on GitHub (e.g., from a fork or a feature branch).
      • Navigate to the repository where you want to submit the pull request.
      • Click the “Pull Requests” tab and then click “New Pull Request.”
      • Select your branch and the branch you want to merge into.
      • Add a title and description for your pull request and click “Create Pull Request.”