The first step to GitHub!

This article is written based on Windows 10

What is GitHub?

Imagine you’re preparing a final report for a class, and you need to collaborate with your classmates. Most likely, you would create a new document on Google Docs or Microsoft Word Online, and share it with your group. These platforms provide live updates on document changes, and even allow you to restore previous versions of the report.

Now, let’s say you’re starting on a substantial project involving several other people. This is where code hosting service comes into play. Code hosting service functions in a similar way to Google Docs, but it’s specifically designed for programmers. It provides a platform where developers can collaborate on software projects, essentially serving as a virtual workspace. Within this space, programmers can store their code, track modifications, and collectively contribute to the project. Moreover, the code hosting service offers a standardized method for publishing code to the public, making it a valuable tool for open-source projects. There are some popular code hosting services such as GitHub and Bitbucket. In this series, we are using GitHub to construct our personal website.

How to use GitHub?

Step 1. Create a repository

The first step in utilizing GitHub begins with creating an account. To initiate a new project, click the “New” button located on the right side of the page. Each project is stored within a repository, serving as a designated space for its files and resources. In our case, we’ll be generating the code for our website within this new repository. In the subsequent step, it’s crucial to name the repository username.GitHub.io if your purpose is to constuct your personal website (in my case, it would be chulminator.GitHub.io). This name will serve as the address for your blog. Finally, ensure to check the box to add a README file. Additionally, for public visibility, the repository should be set to public, allowing others to view your website.

Step 2. Download Git bash

What are Git and GitHub? Professor ChatGPT said,

“GitHub is a web-based platform that utilizes Git for version control. While GitHub is one of the most popular platforms for hosting Git repositories, it’s important to note that Git itself is a separate tool that can be used independently of GitHub.”

You can download the Git bash from their website, http://git-scm.com.

Step 3. Hello world with HTML

1. Navigate to the repository, username.GitHub.io, and click the green button labeled ‘code’.
2. Copy the repository_URL.
3. Locate or create a proper directory on your local computer.
4. Create an index.html file and write “hello world” using a text editor such as Notepad.
5. Launch Git bash.
6. Change your current directory to the one from 3. using ‘cd’ command. cd .. moves up to the parent folder and cd subfolder navigates to the subfolder on your current directory.
7. Type git clone repository_URL on Git bash.
8. Type git add .
9. Type git commit -m “Hello World”
10. Type git push
11. Check “index.html” added in the repository on GitHub.
12. After approximately 5 to 10 mins, you will find “Hello World” displayed on username.GitHub.io

Conclusion

In this post, we established a new repository for our personal blog, downloaded it to our local computer, and then proceeded to enhance it by adding a new HTML file. Lastly, we uploaded the updated HTML file to our GitHub repository. Stay tuned for the next post, where I will explore the Git commands utilized in this process.