Fundamentals of GitHub: Everything you need to know as a fresher

GitHub is a web-based platform that is used for version control. The primary objective of GitHub is to simplify the process of working with other people and to make it easy to collaborate on projects for their successful accomplishments. 

GitHub makes it very easy to bring changes in the master branch of the project when a team works closely on a project. So it becomes essential to learn git and github when working on collaborative software and web development projects. 

While GitHub is the cloud-based hosting service, Git is the version control system that allows developers to work with code and code history. Git allows us to use repositories seamlessly for our coding projects.

Moreover, Git is an overall and immensely important tool for crafting websites and performing the task of version control when many people are working together as a team on a project. It has to coordinate and reduce the tendency of errors among the team members. 

In recent times, GitHub skills have made their mark on companies. And, now they are considered among the must-have skills rather than preferred ones for a job role. It is important to understand its various uses, functions, and capabilities; so here is a GitHub and Git tutorial for beginners.

What is GitHub?

Before we can take a mini GitHub tutorial, let us understand what it actually is. GitHub is a code-sharing service that helps companies and workers to connect and work with different people so that they can collaborate with them.

GitHub is a modern-day software solution that allows multiple people to make changes to the same website as per the requirement of any project. More than one person will likely be working on a project for a company. And, this is where, GitHub comes into picture. 

To make the concept of GitHub clear, consider that a company wants to build a website of its own and it delegates the work to the software developer team. It is quite natural that everyone who is working on the project has to update their codes one by one.

Here, GitHub provides a platform where everyone can modify, update, and edit the codes as per the requirements of the project. That means no one has to rely upon just one person to make the necessary changes.

Ready to get your GitHub tutorial started? Read on!

Developers of a project can work in Git branches through command lines that are used by the workers who are associated with the project. It is important to use a branch testing command that can be as simple as “Git branch testing”.

The need for the creation of the Git branch arises when developers are committing data on Git for a specific line of code.

To see the availability of branches, one can simply use the command “Git branch”. 

These are simple commands and most developers spend their time in the testing branch so that they can create a successful command for the desired project. All the changes and commands in the Git branches should be of the type that does not disrupt the work of other co-workers on the same collaborative project.

As the specifications of getting branches have been disclosed properly, it is also essential to know the fundamentals of Git repositories. A repository can be called a structure that stores different files or various parts of a directory. Hence, the Git branches go into repositories.

There is no perfect set of courses or perfect line of work when you are dealing with the Git repositories. There are various codes regarding the Git repositories which can be understood in detail in the full-stack development course by Hero Vired. 

A lot of power comes into existence regarding the version controls when the Git branches enter repositories. As many people are working on a particular project, the jump to multi-user repositories is straightforward and simple.

The Git repositories work on a copy clone basis where vital information of a directory is cloned and has a safe copy of itself stored in the device that can act as a backup of information for the collaborative project. The last command “Git clone” allows all other co-workers to get a copy of the history and the newest repository so that they can be updated with the recent changes.

Thus, it can be said that a repository is a whole project and the branch is only a version of the repository. When branches and repositories of a GitHub work together collaboratively, it forms the perfect operation of GitHub.

Usage, Application, and Importance of Git Commands

It is necessary to know why Git commands are important and what their usage is. Here is a quick git commands tutorial that will help you understand what the different commands are used for.

• Git clone

This command is used to download the most recent version of a remote project and store it in the desired location on the local machine.

• Git fetch

This particular command is used to fetch all the updates from the remote repository that includes the new branches too.

• Git checkout

This command is useful when users are trying to switch the branch they are currently working on.

• Git init

This command can be used when users are trying to create a new repository or initiate an old one in the project roots.

• Git commit

This command is used when a user is trying to save the changes that are made locally.

• Git push

This command works when the locally saved changes are to be moved to the remote branch.

• Git diff

To see the unstaged changes on the current branch a user may use this command.

• Git pull

This command is used for fetching every change from remote repositories and merging the changes to the local branch.

• Git add

This command is used when a user wants to stage the changed files.

• Git branch

If a user wants to see the list of all the branches in the repository, this is the command to be used.

Hope this small Git commands tutorial helped you understand what each command does and when to use them.

Why is it Important to Learn Git and GitHub?

The importance of GitHub can be traced back to when companies used to associate more than one person with a project. That is the major reason why anyone should learn how to use GitHub. The use of GitHub helps developers to work in groups and any member of the group can have access to the code as it is open source.

When using Git and GitHub, if a project is submitted to the project owner, anyone can put forward his/her suggestions regarding the rectification of any code. And, if he/she finds out that the suggestion is right, then the project can act immediately on that.

Using GitHub also saves you a lot of hours while contemplating the fact of writing commands and directing them for the project. Thus, there are many reasons why anyone should learn GitHub as it helps them to prosper in a job that requires team cooperation in accomplishing a project.

Benefits of GitHub

GitHub is a very effective tool when users are working together on a repository. Numerous benefits can be stated in this regard and a few of the following has been stated below:

1. The contribution to the open-source projects had been made easier by using GitHub.
2. It has made the documentation process of the project easy and convenient.
3. The exemplary and outstanding skills of the developer are also highlighted in this process.
4. GitHub makes it easy to write and maintain the formatted documents in the repository.
5. It helps you to showcase your talent to the public and offers wide exposure for your project.
6. It helps users keep a track of the changes of codes across the versions in the repository.
7. GitHub also provides integration options as it can integrate with other platforms like Google and Amazon.

Therefore, these are the major advantages that a developer can get while using GitHub for their project.

Limitations/Disadvantages of GitHub

Being a great tool for conducting app projects having many members on it, GitHub also has some disadvantages as to why any developer should think twice before going for it. These limitations are as follows:

1. GitHub is a hard tool that has numerous commands in it so it can be a little difficult for beginners to get a hang of it.
2. There can be security issues in the repositories as many people have access to it. Even the private repositories have some issues.
3. Some of the specific features of GitHub have to be purchased and the pricing of such features can be very high which can be difficult to afford by stand-alone developers.
4. When it comes to high-value intellectual property projects, it can be risky to give the project in the hands of GitHub as it has wide access.
5. In some real cases, there are some policy concerns of GitHub as well that do not allow developers or employers to use software for their project purpose.

Therefore, even though GitHub is a great software tool when workers want to work together as a team, it has its share of limitations which has to be kept in mind.

Git can prove to be a very helpful and powerful tool for any collaborative project when many people are working together for the success of a project. Notably, many companies use GitHub software daily for version control. 

Hope this basic Git tutorial for beginners has helped you understand what it is all about. If you want to know learn Git and GitHub, how it works, and more, then check out the Certificate Program in Full Stack Development with Cloud for Web and Mobile by HeroVired and Codecademy. It is the perfect way for you to get started, as it includes a comprehensive GitHub tutorial module. It will provide you insights into GitHub and how to use it in live projects and also how to build your GitHub portfolio.