Lab 3: Creating and Using a Git Repository for Software Engineering
Objective:
To learn how to create a Git repository, make commits, and push changes to GitHub.
Prerequisites:
Git installed on your machine
GitHub account
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) installed
Git is a distributed version control system. It’s a system that records changes of our files over
time.
--distributed-even-if-your-workflow-isnt
Lab Steps:
Step 1: Set Up Git and GitHub
1. Install Git:
o Download and install Git from Git's official website.
2. Set Up Git Configuration: Open a terminal and configure your Git username and
email:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "
[email protected]"
3. Create a GitHub Account: If you don't have a GitHub account, create one at
GitHub's website.
Step 2: Create a New Repository on GitHub
1. Log In to GitHub: Go to GitHub and log in.
2. Create a New Repository:
o Click on the "+" icon at the top right and select "New repository".
o Fill in the repository name (e.g., my-first-repo).
o Optionally, add a description.
o Choose "Public" or "Private" as per your preference.
o Initialize the repository with a README.md (optional but recommended).
o Click on "Create repository".
Step 3: Clone the Repository Locally
1. Get the Repository URL: On your repository page on GitHub, click the green
"Code" button and copy the URL.
2. Clone the Repository: Open a terminal and run:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/my-first-repo.git
Replace https://github.com/yourusername/my-first-repo.git with your repository URL.
Step 4: Make Changes and Commit
1. Open the Project in VS Code:
cd my-first-repo
code .
2. Create a New File: In VS Code, create a new file called hello.txt and add some text
to it.
3. Check Git Status:
git status
4. Add Changes to Staging Area:
git add hello.txt
5. Commit Changes:
git commit -m "Add hello.txt with initial content"
Step 5: Push Changes to GitHub
1. Push to GitHub:
git push origin main
Replace main with your branch name if it's different.
Step 6: View Changes on GitHub
1. Go to Your Repository: Open your repository on GitHub in a web browser.
2. Verify the Changes: Ensure that the hello.txt file is present with the content you
added.
Step 7: Additional Practice
1. Create Another File: Create another file called goodbye.txt and add some content.
2. Repeat the Process:
o Add the file to the staging area.
o Commit the changes.
o Push the changes to GitHub.
Check out:
Branching and Merging: Explore creating branches using git branch and git
checkout -b branch_name, and learn to merge using git merge.
Pull Requests: Learn how to create pull requests on GitHub for collaborative work.
GitHub Pages: If you're interested in hosting a static site, explore GitHub Pages.
Additional Resources:
Pro Git Book
GitHub Learning Lab
