Learning GIT and GITHUB

As a beginner, learning to use Git and GitHub was tough. I had many failed attempts, following various tutorials on YouTube. I could follow and repeat the tutorials, but I struggled to understand the context in which it'd be useful. Why do people do use this?

One day, I discovered the website (https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2). It's the online manual for Git. Several Panadol tablets later, I finally got it. I hope you get it too after going through these series.

What is GIT? What's GITHUB?

We use software everyday to do all kinds of things - send money, call a friend, share a funny video... our primary interaction with the world today is done through software.

The software we use on our various computer devices all run on code; without code, your phone, and most modern electronics, would just be boring, lifeless, metallic boxes. Code is what software/apps/websites are made of, and it is written by people we call programmers or coders.

The websites and applications you use today are rarely written by a single programmer. They are usually built by a large group of programmers working as a team. They do not necessarily work in the same room, or even on the same continent. There is an element of collaboration, working together, and coding together. The code they write adds new features, fixes issues, or improves old features. In summary, the software on your device goes through a lot of refining to make it work better, faster, and nicer.

As the code grows, it becomes necessary to create a method or system that handles and tracks the changes made in the code - who added this code, what code was that, what does the code do... There are various ways to watch, or track, these changes. These methods are collectively called version control systems -- systems designed to track various versions of a project. This is where Git comes in.

GIT is a Version Control Software

Git is a program that helps monitor changes in your project. Programs that you can use to monitor how files and code change in your project are known as version control tools.
It can be an incredibly difficult tool to understand, but once one grasps it, it becomes an indispensable tool, very useful in multiple ways. And the great thing is you don't have to be a programmer to find Git useful - designers, writers, and others from various fields have found it useful. It can save previous versions of your work... permanently.

So now you have an idea of what Git does, let's talk about GitHub.

GITHUB is an online platform for code

GitHub is an online, social website that runs on Git - think Git on steroids. It aids collaboration - programmers can save their projects/code on GitHub and easily share it with other colleagues. GitHub also adds some extra features to Git, mostly aimed at improving collaboration among coders. Think GIT-HUB, a hub for Git projects.

What's next?

In this series of articles, you will learn how to use GIT for version control. You will learn how to share your projects online, so others can view and collaborate on them with you.

GIT and GITHUB are essential tools for any programmer in today's digital world. I wish you luck as you begin your journey.

Stuff you should know already

1. You should be comfortable using a computer and the Internet.

2. Little knowledge of the command line is required. Don't worry if you have never heard of it - this tutorial also contains a guide to the command line.

3. Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS.

4. A recent version of Windows (Windows 10 or 11). This guide was written for Windows users. Linux users might find it useful too.