GitHub Basics for JB

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering GitHub

You're on the tutorial/github-basics-for-jb branch - your personal learning space!

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Quick Access - Your Codespace

Direct Link to Your Workspace

https://github.com/codespaces/jb-workspace-vj4jjqqgwq63pg45

Or Navigate Manually

1. Go to https://github.com/PRSMTECH/JB-cliagent
2. Click the green "<> Code" button
3. Click "Codespaces" tab
4. Click on "jb-workspace"

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First Time Setup

Once your Codespace opens, run these commands in the terminal:

Step 1: Install Claude Code (First Time Only)

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Step 2: Start Claude

claude

Step 3: Load Your Context

/load

Step 4: Check Your Tasks

/tasks

That's it! You're ready to work.

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Creating Codespaces for New Repos

When Swizz creates a new project, here's how you join:

Method 1: From Any PRSMTECH Repo (Easiest)

Step	Action
1	Go to the repo URL Swizz sends you
2	Click the green "<> Code" button
3	Click "Codespaces" tab
4	Click "Create codespace on main"
5	Wait ~2 minutes for setup
6	Run claude to start working

Method 2: From GitHub Codespaces Dashboard

1. Go to: https://github.com/codespaces
2. Click "New codespace"
3. Search for the repo (e.g., PRSMTECH/new-project)
4. Select the branch (usually main)
5. Click "Create codespace"

Method 3: Command Line (Advanced)

# Create codespace for any repo
gh codespace create --repo PRSMTECH/repo-name

# List your codespaces
gh codespace list

# Open a codespace
gh codespace code -c codespace-name

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How We Collaborate

Everything syncs through Git - here's the flow:

When You Do This	Swizz Sees This
Make changes in Codespace	Commits appear in repo history
Create a new branch	Can review your work via PR
Push commits	Can pull to local machine
Update Memory Bank	Context syncs via git
Open a Pull Request	Gets notified to review

The Collaboration Cycle

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                         │
│   You (Codespace)              Swizz (Local)            │
│        │                            │                   │
│        │  ── git push ──────────►   │                   │
│        │                            │                   │
│        │  ◄────── git pull ──────   │                   │
│        │                            │                   │
│        │  ── Pull Request ──────►   │                   │
│        │                            │                   │
│        │  ◄───── Review/Merge ───   │                   │
│        │                            │                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Best Practices for Collaboration

Do This	Why
git pull before starting	Get Swizz's latest changes
Commit often with good messages	Easy to track progress
Push at end of session	Swizz can see your work
Create PRs for big changes	Get feedback before merging
Use /save before pushing	Preserve your AI context

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What is GitHub?

Think of GitHub like Google Docs for code - but way more powerful:

Feature	What It Does	Real World Example
Repository	A project folder	Your JB-cliagent workspace
Commit	A save point	"Added new email template"
Branch	A separate version	Test changes without breaking main
Pull Request	Request to merge	Ask Swizz to review your changes
Codespace	Cloud workspace	Work from any browser

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The 4 Core Concepts

1. Repository (Repo)

A repository is your project's home. Everything lives here - code, files, history.

PRSMTECH/JB-cliagent  ← This is YOUR repo

Your repo contains:

• Your AI assistant configuration
• Memory Bank (saved context)
• Skills and commands
• All your work history

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2. Commits

A commit is like pressing "Save" - but smarter. Each commit:

• Has a message describing what changed
• Has a unique ID so you can go back anytime
• Shows who made the change and when

Good commit messages:

Do This	Not This
Add email draft feature	stuff
Fix contact sorting bug	changes
Update task list format	asdfasdf

How to commit:

git add .                           # Stage all changes
git commit -m "Your message here"   # Save with a message
git push                            # Upload to GitHub

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3. Branches

A branch is a separate version of your code. Like making a copy to experiment on.

main (the official version)
  │
  ├── feature/new-email ← You're experimenting here
  │
  └── fix/contact-bug   ← Someone else is fixing this

Why branches matter:

• Test ideas without breaking the main version
• Work on features independently
• Merge when ready

You're currently on: tutorial/github-basics-for-jb

The main branch: main (production-ready code)

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4. Pull Requests (PRs)

A Pull Request asks to merge your branch into another (usually main).

Your Branch                    Main Branch
     │                              │
     │    ┌──────────────┐          │
     └───►│ Pull Request │─────────►│
          │   (Review)   │          │
          └──────────────┘          │

The PR workflow:

1. You create changes on your branch
2. Open a Pull Request
3. Swizz reviews the changes
4. Approved? → Merge into main
5. Changes are now live!

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Your Daily Workflow

Starting Your Day

# 1. Open your Codespace
#    Go to: github.com/codespaces
#    Click on your workspace

# 2. Get latest changes
git pull

# 3. Start Claude
claude

# 4. Load your context
/load

# 5. Check your tasks
/tasks

During Work

# Save your progress often
git add .
git commit -m "What you did"
git push

End of Day

# 1. Save your AI context
/save

# 2. Commit your work
git add .
git commit -m "End of day: what you accomplished"
git push

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Git Commands Cheat Sheet

What You Want	Command	Example
See what changed	git status	Shows modified files
Save changes	git add .	Stage all files
Create save point	git commit -m "msg"	git commit -m "Add feature"
Upload to GitHub	git push	Sync with cloud
Download updates	git pull	Get others' changes
See history	git log --oneline	List all commits
Create branch	git checkout -b name	git checkout -b feature/new
Switch branch	git checkout name	git checkout main

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Claude Commands Cheat Sheet

What You Want	Command	What It Does
See tasks	/tasks	Shows your prioritized task list
Draft email	/email [who] [about]	Creates ready-to-send email
Create content	/content [topic]	Generates brand content
View contacts	/contacts	Shows your contact database
Get news	/news [topic]	Fetches latest industry news
Save session	/save	Saves context for next time
Load session	/load	Restores previous context

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Creating Your First Pull Request

Option 1: GitHub Website (Easiest)

1. Go to your repo: github.com/PRSMTECH/JB-cliagent
2. Click "Pull requests" tab
3. Click "New pull request"
4. Select your branch (e.g., tutorial/github-basics-for-jb)
5. Click "Create pull request"
6. Add a title and description
7. Click "Create pull request"

Option 2: Command Line

gh pr create --title "What I did" --body "Description of changes"

What Happens Next

• Swizz gets notified
• Reviews your changes
• Leaves comments or approves
• Merges when ready

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Try It Now! Your First Exercise

Exercise: Make Your First Commit

Step 1: Create a file with your name

echo "JB was here - $(date)" > jb-first-commit.txt

Step 2: Check what changed

git status

You should see jb-first-commit.txt in red (untracked)

Step 3: Stage the file

git add jb-first-commit.txt

Step 4: Commit it

git commit -m "My first commit - JB learning GitHub"

Step 5: Push to GitHub

git push

Step 6: Check GitHub - your file is there!

Go to: github.com/PRSMTECH/JB-cliagent and you'll see your commit!

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Managing Your Codespaces

View All Your Codespaces

Go to: https://github.com/codespaces

Codespace Actions

Action	How To
Open	Click on codespace name
Stop	Click ••• → Stop codespace (saves costs)
Delete	Click ••• → Delete (removes workspace)
Rename	Click ••• → Rename

Command Line Management

# List all codespaces
gh codespace list

# Stop a codespace (saves money)
gh codespace stop -c codespace-name

# Delete a codespace
gh codespace delete -c codespace-name

# SSH into a codespace
gh codespace ssh -c codespace-name

Cost Tips

• Codespaces auto-stop after 30 minutes of inactivity
• Stop manually when taking long breaks
• Delete codespaces you're not using
• PRSMTECH pays for usage - be mindful!

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Troubleshooting

"Your branch is behind"

git pull

This downloads the latest changes from GitHub.

"Merge conflict"

This happens when the same file was changed in two places. Don't panic!

1. Open the file - you'll see conflict markers
2. Choose which version to keep
3. Remove the <<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>> markers
4. Commit the resolution

First time? Ask Swizz for help - conflicts are easier to learn together.

"Permission denied"

Make sure you're logged in:

gh auth status

If not:

gh auth login

"Codespace won't start"

1. Go to https://github.com/codespaces
2. Find your codespace
3. Click ••• → Rebuild container
4. Wait for it to rebuild

"Claude command not found"

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

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Project Structure

JB-cliagent/
├── .claude/
│   └── CLAUDE.md              # Your AI's brain
├── .memory-bank/
│   ├── context.md             # Current focus
│   ├── tasks.md               # Your task list
│   ├── contacts.md            # Contact database
│   ├── content.md             # Saved content
│   └── notes.md               # Important notes
├── skills/                    # Custom commands
├── docs/                      # Documentation
├── introduction-to-github/    # GitHub course
├── communicate-using-markdown/# Markdown course
└── README.md                  # This file!

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Quick Reference Card

Daily Action	Command
Start of day	git pull then claude then /load
Save work	git add . && git commit -m "msg" && git push
End of day	/save then commit and push
Create PR	gh pr create
Check status	git status
New codespace	Green "Code" button → Codespaces → Create

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You've Got This!

Questions? Just ask Claude in your Codespace:

"How do I create a codespace?"
"Help me push my changes"
"What's the difference between commit and push?"

Or reach out to Swizz anytime.

Built for Jordan Burrell by PRSMTECH