Git and GitHub

Prerequisites

version control

hw1

hw1_final

hw1_final2

hw1_final3

hw1_finalwithfinalimages

hw1_finalestfinal

What if we tracked our file with a better names for each version and have only 1 file hw1?

hw1 added questions 1 through 5
hw1 changed question 1 image
hw1 fixed typos

We will call the descriptions in bold commit messages.

git vs. GitHub

git allows us to keep track of different versions of a file(s).
GitHub is a website where we can store (and share) different versions of the files.

Demo

Cloning a repo

repo is a short form of repository. Repositories contain all of your project’s files as well as each file’s revision history.

For this class our weekly repos (lecture code, quiz code etc.) are hosted on Github.

To clone a GitHub repo to our computer, we first copy the cloning link as shown in screencast then start an RStudio project using that link.

Cloning a repo pulls (downloads) all the elements of a repo available at that specific time.

Commits

Once you make changes to your repo (e.g. take notes during lecture). you can take a snapshot of your changes with a commit.

This way if you ever have to go back in version history you have your older commits to get back to. This is especially useful, for instance, if you want to go back to an earlier solution you have committed.

Push

All the commits you make will initially be local (i.e. on your own computer).

In order for me to see your commits and the current version of any doc you are working on, you have to push your commits. In other words upload your files at the stage in that specific time.

(An incomplete) Git/GitHub glossary

Git: is software for tracking changes in any set of files

GitHub: is an internet host for Git projects.

repo: is a short form of repository. Repositories contain all of your project’s files as well as each file’s revision history.

clone: Cloning a repo pulls (downloads) all the elements of a repo available at that specific time.

commit: A snapshot of your repo at a specific point in time. We distinguish each commit with a commit message.

push: Uploads the latest “committed” state of your repo to GitHub.

Do you git it?