Feb 05, 2015

When it comes to software development especially big projects, it can be frustrating when you are unable to compare a current piece of code to the previous versions, or even worse, accidentally gets deleted. This is where GitHub comes in. GitHub Source Control can assist in keeping your code safe and give you revision control over your work. GitHub also enables you to code as a team, even if your team is not physically located in the same area as you! To get started with GitHub, you can register here. There is a four step process to use GitHub:

1. Set up Git - The first step is a nice tutorial to get you started into using Git. This screenshot shows the desktop application that you will be using, or you can alternatively use the GitShell which is a Powershell tool that will allow you to manage your environment.

2. Create repositories - A repository is a storage container for your projects. Defining a repository involves a little bit of configuring, this can be done either on the website or on the desktop application. You should also decide if you want your repository to be private (available only to you and selected persons) or public (available to the community to help you build it). The steps to complete this are illustrated on the screenshot below:

3. Fork repositories - You can now start creating a fork for your repository. This is a copy of your repository where you can make changes to it for experimentation purposes. The nice thing about creating a fork is that all the changes you made to the fork will not affect your original project. 4. Work together - The final step is optional, but this will allow you to invite friends to collaborate on your project, or you can get invited to collaborate on a friend’s project. Either way, this is useful if you want to work on a project as a team. Whether you are beginner or and advanced developer, GitHub will still have something to offer.