06/08/2015

HelloWorldGitHubGuides

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HelloWorld
10minuteread

TheHelloWorldprojectisatimehonoredtraditionincomputerprogramming.It
isasimpleexercisethatgetsyoustartedwhenlearningsomethingnew.Lets
getstartedwithGitHub!
GitHubisaplatformforhostingandcollaboratingonprojects.Youdonthaveto
worryaboutlosingdataonyourharddriveormanagingaprojectacrossmultiple
computerssyncfromanywhere.Mostimportantly,GitHubisacollaborative
andasynchronousworkflowforbuildingsoftwarebetter,together.
ThisguidewalksyouthroughtheGitHubEssentials:Repositories,Branches,
Commits,IssuesandPullRequests.
Withtheseskills,youllgofar.Andwiththis helloworld repositoryyoull
haveaplacetostoreideas(akafuturerepositories,likejlord/helloworld),
resourcesorothergeneralnotes,evendiscussthingswithothers(like
holman/feedback).

Install&CodeFreeZone
WeregoingtocompletethetasksinthistutorialusingGitHub.com,soyoudont
havetoknowthecommandlineoreveninstallGit(whichisthechangetracking
softwareGitHubisbuilton).Youdontevenneedtoknowhowtocode.Youwill,
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however,needaGitHubaccount,sosignupifyoudonthaveone!
Tip:Openthisguideinaseparatebrowserwindow(ortab)soyoucansee
itwhileyoucompletethestepsinthetutorial.

CreateaRepository
ArepositoryisthebasicunitofGitHub,mostcommonlyasingleproject.
Repositoriescancontainfoldersandfiles,includingimagesanythingyour
projectneeds.BecausewerecommendincludingaREADME,orafile
describingtheproject,ineveryrepository,GitHubmakesiteasytoaddoneat
thesametimeyoucreateyournewrepository.Italsooffersothercommon
optionssuchasalicensefile,butwecanskipthatfornow.

Tocreateanewrepository
1. Clicktheiconnexttoyourusername,topright.
2. Nameyourrepository helloworld .
3. Writeashortdescription.
4. SelectInitializethisrepositorywithaREADME.

Intro
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Createa
Repository
Openan
Issue
Createa
Branch
Makea
Commit
Opena
Pull
Request
MergePull
Request

ClickCreaterepository.Boom,repository!

OpenanIssue
AnIssueisanoteonarepositoryaboutsomethingthatneedsattention.Itcould
beabug,afeaturerequest,aquestionorlotsofotherthings.OnGitHubyou
canlabel,searchandassignIssues,makingmanaginganactiveprojecteasier.
Youvegotarepositorynow,butitsprettybare.ItcoulduseaREADMEwith
moreinformationinitsothatpeopleknowwhatisgoingon.OpenanIssue!

OpenanIssueforREADMEedits
1. ClicktheIssuestabfromthesidebar.
2. ClickNewIssue.
3. GiveyourIssueatitleanddescription.

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ClickSubmitnewIssuewhenyouredone.Nowthisissuehasapermanent
home(URL)thatyoucanreferenceevenafteritisclosed.
Next,worktowardseditingyourREADMEandclosingthisissue.

CreateaBranch
Branchingisthewaytoworkondifferentpartsofarepositoryatonetime.
Whenyoucreatearepository,bydefaultithasonebranchwiththename
master .Youcouldkeepworkingonthisbranchandhaveonlyone,thatsfine.
Butifyouhaveanotherfeatureorideayouwanttoworkon,youcancreate
anotherbranch,startingfrom master ,sothatyoucanleave master inits
workingstate.
Whenyoucreateabranch,youremakingacopyoftheoriginalbranchasitwas
atthatpointintime(likeaphotosnapshot).Iftheoriginalbranchchangeswhile
youreworkingonyournewbranch,noworries,youcanalwayspullinthose
updates.

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Youmayhave,atsomepointinyourlife,saveddifferentversionsofafilelike,
story.txt,storyjoeedit.txt,storysueedit.txt.Branchesaccomplishthesame
goalsbutareeasiertomanageonGitHubrepositories.
AtGitHub,ourdevelopers,writers,anddesignersusebranchesforkeepingbug
fixesandfeatureworkseparatefromour master (production)branch.Whena
featureorfixisready,thebranchismergedinto master .

Tocreateanewbranch
1. Gotoyournewrepository helloworld .
2. Clickthedropdownatthetopofthefilelistthatsaysbranch:master.
3. Typeabranchname, readmeedits ,intothenewbranchtextbox.
4. SelecttheblueCreatebranchboxorhitEnteronyourkeyboard.

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Nowyouhavetwobranches, master and readmeedits .Theylookexactly

thesame,butnotforlong!Nextwelladdourchangestothenewbranch.

Makeacommit
OnGitHub,savedchangesarecalledcommits.Commitsareprettyglorious,
becauseabunchofthemtogetherreadlikethehistoryofyourproject.
Eachcommithasanassociatedcommitmessage,whichisadescription
explainingwhyaparticularchangewasmade.Thankstothesemessages,you
andotherscanreadthroughcommitsandunderstandwhatyouvedoneand
why.
Youshouldstillbeonthecodeviewforyour readmeedits branch,now
makesomechanges!

Tocommitchanges
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1. ClicktheREADMEfile.
2. Clickthepenciliconintheupperrightcornerofthefileviewtoedit.
3. Intheeditor,writesometext,tellabitaboutyourself.
4. Writeacommitmessagethatdescribesyourchanges.

ClickCommitchanges.NowthesechangeshavebeenmadetotheREADME
fileonyour readmeedits branchandnowthisbranchcontainsdifferent
contentandcommitsthan master (asitshould!).

OpenaPullRequest
PullRequestsaretheheartofcollaborationonGitHub.Whenyoumakeapull
request,youreproposingyourchangesandrequestingthatsomeonepullin
yourcontributionakamergethemintotheirbranch.GitHubsPullRequest
featureallowsyoutocomparethecontentontwobranches.Thechanges,
additionsandsubtractions,areshowningreenandredandcalleddiffs
(differences).
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Assoonasyoumakeachange,youcanopenaPullRequest.PeopleusePull
Requeststostartadiscussionaboutcommits(codereview)evenbeforethe
codeisfinished.Thiswayyoucangetfeedbackasyougoorhelpwhenyoure
stuck.
ByusingGitHubs@mentionsysteminyourPullRequestmessage,youcanask
forfeedbackfromspecificpeopleorteams,whethertheyredownthehallor10
timezonesaway.
Youcanevenopen,asweredoinghere,aPullRequestinyourownrepository
andmergeityourself.Itsagreatwaytolearntoprocessbeforeworkingon
largerprojects.

CreateaPullRequestforchangestotheREADME
Clickontheimageforalargerversion
Step

Screenshot

ClickthePullRequesticonon
thesidebar,thenfromthePull
Requestpage,clickthegreenNew
pullrequestbutton.

Selectthebranchyoumade,
readmeedits ,tocomparewith
master (theoriginal).

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Lookoveryourchangesinthediffs
ontheComparepage,makesure
theyrewhatyouwanttosubmit.

Whenyouresatisfiedthatthese
arethechangesyouwantto
submit,clickthebiggreenCreate
PullRequestbutton.

Giveyourpullrequestatitleand
sinceitrelatesdirectlytoanopen
issue,includefixes#andthe
issuenumberinthetitle.Writea
briefdescriptionofyourchanges.

Whenyouredonewithyourmessage,clickCreatepullrequest!
Tip:Youcanuseemojianddraganddropimagesandgifsontocomments
andPullRequests.

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MergeyourPullRequest
Itstimetobringyourchangestogethermergeyour readmeedits branch
intothe master branch.
1. Clickthegreenbuttontomergethechangesinto master .
2. ClickConfirmmerge.
3. Goaheadanddeletethebranch,sinceitschangeshavebeenincorporated,
withtheDeletebranchbuttoninthepurplebox.

Ifyourevisittheissueyouopened,itsnowclosed!Becauseyouincludedfixes
#1inyourPullRequesttitle,GitHubtookcareofclosingthatissuewhenthe
PullRequestwasmerged!

Celebrate!
YouvelearnedtomakeapullrequestonGitHub!

Foryourhumblebrag,herearethethingsyouaccomplishedinthistutorial:
createdarepository,branch,issue,andpullrequest,thenmergedapull
request!Showoffyournewcontributionsquares!
Ifyouwanttolearnmoreaboutthepowerofpullrequests,werecommend
readingtheGitHubFlowGuide.YoumightalsovisitGitHubExploreandget
involvedinanOpenSourceproject

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Tip:CheckoutourotherGuidesandYouTubeChannelformoreGitHub
howtos.

LastupdatedMay,2014

GitHubisthebestwaytobuildandshipsoftware.
Powerfulcollaboration,codereview,andcodemanagementforopensourceandprivate
projects.

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