What is GitHub?

Last lesson you learned that Git saves snapshots of your work right on your computer. Great. Now what happens when that computer croaks? Or when you want to share your code with somebody else?

That's where GitHub comes in. GitHub is a website that stores your Git projects online, so they're safe and easy to share.

GitHub = Online Storage for Code#

Think of GitHub like Google Drive or Dropbox, except it's built specifically for code projects.

Google Drive	GitHub
Store documents	Store code
Share files with others	Share projects with others
Access from any computer	Access from any computer
See previous versions	See complete project history

Why GitHub Matters#

1. Your Code is Backed Up#

If your computer dies tomorrow, your code is sitting safe on GitHub. Download it to a new computer and keep right on working.

2. Access From Anywhere#

Started a project at home? Pick it back up at school or at work. Your code lives in the cloud.

3. Collaboration Made Easy#

GitHub makes it simple for a bunch of people to work on the same project.

• Everyone gets their own copy
• Changes can be reviewed before they get added
• You can finally stop emailing files back and forth (thank goodness)

4. It's the Standard#

GitHub is the biggest home for code on the internet, and a huge number of companies and open source projects run on it. When you learn it, you're learning a skill developers use all over the world.

What You'll See on GitHub#

When you open a project on GitHub, here's what you'll find.

Step 1. Code Files#

All the files in the project, organized in folders. You can click through them right in your web browser.

Step 2. README#

A document that explains what the project does. Think of it as the project's front page.

Step 3. Commit History#

A list of every change ever made. You can see who changed what and when (yes, it's a lil bit of a paper trail).

Step 4. Issues#

A spot to report bugs or suggest new features. Basically a to-do list for the project.

Step 5. Pull Requests#

Proposed changes that are waiting to be reviewed. We'll get into these later.

Public vs. Private Repositories#

On GitHub a project is called a "repository" (or "repo" for short). Repositories come in two flavors.

Public

• Anyone can see your code
• Great for sharing with the world
• Free for unlimited projects

Private

• Only you and people you invite can see it
• Good for personal or work projects
• Also free for unlimited projects

GitHub is Social#

Here's the part people don't expect... GitHub is more than storage. It's also kind of a social network for developers.

• Follow other developers to see their work
• Star projects you like (like a bookmark)
• Fork projects to make your own copy
• Contribute to other people's projects

Plenty of developers treat their GitHub profile like a portfolio to show off what they've built.

Real-World Example#

Let's say you're building a personal website. It'd go something like this.

1. You build the website on your computer
2. You use Git to track your changes
3. You push (upload) your code to GitHub
4. Now your code is
   • Backed up online
   • Accessible from any computer
   • Ready to share with others
   • Easy to deploy to the internet

TL;DR#

• GitHub stores your Git projects online in the cloud
• It's like Google Drive, but built for code
• Your code is backed up and you can get to it from anywhere
• GitHub makes working with other people a LOT easier
• Projects can be public (anyone can see) or private (invite only)
• A huge number of companies and open source projects use GitHub

What's Next?#

Now you know what GitHub is, so it's time to set up your own account. Next lesson we'll create your GitHub account and set up SSH keys so your computer can connect to GitHub securely...