Creating your first repository on GitHub

Job Oaikhenah — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 22:55:02 +0000

Hello👋 and welcome to the second article on "Git and GitHub" series!

In this article, we will learn how to create a git repository. I'll believe you understand the terms 'Git' and 'GitHub'. If not, kindly refer to my previous article in which I explained them. I'll also assume you're familiar with the terminal, at least the basic commands.

So let's get kicking!💪

Step 1. Create a new repository on GitHub

First, you log into your GitHub account and navigate to the 'Repositories' tab. Click on the button on the top right corner, written New. Once clicked, you should be directed to a new page where you set up your new repository. Fill in the Repository name input box with the name you wish to give your repository. For this article, I'll call mine 'New-Repo'. You can also write in a description (optional) for your repository. For this article, I'll just type in 'New Repository'. Don't worry about the other input-fields, for now just leave them the way they are.
Having done that, your page should look similar to this

With that said and done, scroll down and click on the
Create repository button.
Now you should see a page similar to this

Step 2. Create a directory on the local machine

In your local machine (laptop, desktop etc), create a directory with the name of your GitHub Repository, in my case New-Repo, wherever you want it to be. Create a README.md file in the directory, describing your project.

Now, head on to your terminal and navigate to your directory, and execute the following commands:

git init

This initiates the directory as a git repository. The directory now has a .git hidden file indicating its a git repository, thus enabling you to execute git commands in the directory.

git remote add origin <repositoryurl>

This syncs your local directory with the GitHub repository. By default, you're in the master branch.
You can try running git status to confirm that.

Step 3. Push Changes to GitHub repository

To push changes to the GitHub repository, run the following commands:

git add .

This stages all the files in your directory for push, in our case, only the README.md file.

git commit -m 'initial commit'

This creates a description for your Push. Since it's our first, we'll just write 'initial commit'.

And lastly,

git push -u origin master

This sets up the master branch in the GitHub repository as the upstream branch for the master branch in your local directory, and pushes the staged changes to the branch.

Now, go back to your GitHub repository and refresh the page. What you see should be similar to this

Voila!! 😃 You've created your first GitHub repository and pushed your first change. Subsequent times, it's a similar pattern.

And that's it for now guys! Thanks for the audience!

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You can also find me on Twitter and GitHub.✌️

Introduction to Git & GitHub

Job Oaikhenah — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 02:33:35 +0000

Hi👋, y'all welcome to my first article in my debut technical series, "Git & GitHub" 😊.

In this series, we will be exploring Git and GitHub as they are vital tools to your success as a developer.

To begin with, in this article, we will be defining the terms Git and GitHub. As a code-newbie, you probably have heard of the above at one time or another, but unsure of what exactly it means. Not to worry anymore, as we'll be tackling that right away. SO let's get kicking...

What is Git?

Git is a free, open-source version control system. In fact, it is the most widely used version control system. Most programmers, many times, interact with it daily, and definitely, you will too as you progress in your career as a developer.
But, what do we mean by version control system? This is a means by which programmers track code changes during development of software. This helps us to see and understand what change was made and when it was made, such that, in the event, we are better able to track down bugs or revert to a previous version of the code if the need arises.

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a cloud-based hosting service that lets you manage Git repositories. In other words, its a platform for developers to store their code and project development progress. That is to say, GitHub is designed to help developers manage Git repositories. Moreso, you can think of it as a portfolio for a developer to showcase his work. Virtually every developer has a GitHub account. If you don't already have one, I advise you go sign up right away!

That's it for now, guys. Thanks for the audience!😊
Stay tuned for the next article where we'll be creating our very first GitHub repository.