GitHub is a resource for developers to store and manage their code.
When it comes to updating codes, it can be dangerous to directly modify the code of a website or program. This is where tools like GitHub come in. Users can upload their codes, edit them safely, and then merge them with the original code when they are content with the updates.
Not only that, but users can also jump onto GitHub and find a variety of files to download. Developers all around the world use it as well as upload files to help others.
Unfortunately, the process of finding these files can be a bit daunting, especially for non-developers. That’s where we come in.
Follow this simple step-by-step guide and you will be downloading all the files your heart desires in no time.
The first step is to get on the GitHub website. Typically, this will work better using a laptop when it comes to the physical coding work and downloading files. However, GitHub does offer options for mobile devices as well. You should be able to access this in your phone’s App Store or Google Play app, depending on what kind of phone you have.
In addition, users will not need to make an account in order to download files from the website. However, creating an account can be beneficial for organizational purposes, as well as a slew of other benefits involving customer support and storage. In addition, if you want to use GitHub for more than just files, such as uploading your own codes and modifying them, then creating an account is required.
After you’re on the GitHub website, you’ll need to look to the upper right-hand corner where you will see a search bar. Here, you can plug in keywords for the file you are looking for and see all of the options GitHub has to offer. Software developers are adding more files to GitHub every day, so there is a huge repository of resources to choose from.
However, accessing these resources can sometimes be overwhelming, especially with the huge volume of them available.
To make it a little bit easier, there is an Explore tab in the center of the taskbar at the top of the homepage. If you click on it, you’ll be able to see the trending topics and repositories of the day. In addition, there are collections about a variety of industries, topics, and communities. So, if you’re looking to code, use music, work with data as a journalist, or even hack Minecraft, there is a hub of resources available for you to learn from and download.
These can be excellent sources of inspiration, development, or even entertainment (I’m looking at you, Minecraft). Even if you know exactly what kind of file you want, take a look and see what kinds of capabilities are out there. Some may even surprise you.
Once you find the file or group of files that you’re looking for, select the name of the file with your mouse. After you click it, you will be taken to another page that outlines the code and allows you to begin the process of downloading the file.
Once you find the file you’d like and click on the name of it, you’ll be taken to a new page. From here, you’ll be able to see the code. In addition, there are a few other tabs that you can look into, such as pull requests, actions, projects, security, and insights.
However, for just downloading, you’ll want to stay on the original page. Select the green button on the right that says Code. From here, look to the bottom of the list of options. You will see a choice that says Download ZIP. Select this, and the file will automatically begin to download on your computer.
Unfortunately, at this point, GitHub does not allow individual files in a folder to be downloaded. If there are extra files you don’t want, simply go to your Downloads folder and move the files you don’t want to the trash. You can do this by either dragging them to the trash or right-clicking the file and pressing the Delete option.
Although the file is downloaded, it’s not completely ready to use yet. Since all of the files are in the ZIP version, you must manually un-ZIP them to access them. The files are zipped because when the data is compressed, less space is used. Not only that, but transferring files becomes much faster and the download does not take as long.
Luckily, unzipping the files is very easy and will most likely only take a couple of minutes.
On Windows, open up your File Explorer. This is a yellow file folder, most likely located at the bottom of your screen on the taskbar. If not, click on the search bar on the bottom left-hand corner of your screen and type the words “File Explorer.”
From here, click on the application. Once it is opened, look at the left-hand side and select the Downloads folder. There should be a blue arrow icon next to it facing downwards. Click it.
From here, you should see the file that you downloaded at the very top of the list of downloads. Right-click on the name of the file. Select the Extract All option and your device will automatically begin the process of unzipping all of the files.
On Windows, you can also select the location where you would like the files to end up. Once the files are unzipped, the accessible folder will now be opened, and you should be able to use them.
On a Mac, the process for unzipping files is similar, but not the exact same. Rather than looking for the File Explorer button on the bottom taskbar, you’ll look for an icon called Finder.
This will most likely be located at the bottom of your screen, and look like a smiley face that is half white and half blue. Click on the icon, and then look on the left-hand side. Just like in the Windows option, click the option that says Downloads. From here, you should see your ZIP file at the very top, since it was the file most recently downloaded.
Double click the file and your device will begin the process of unzipping it. In addition, if you would like to unzip multiple files, just press the shift button and click on all the files you need. From here, double click and the download should begin like normal.
After that, your files will be ready to access. Click on them to begin using them like you would with any other file.
While downloading files is a relatively quick and easy process, there can be some hiccups along the way. We’re here to highlight some of the most common problems in the download process.
For those new to the world of GitHub and development, it can be difficult to know exactly what to search for on the website. In addition, some of the names of the files can seem a bit confusing. A lot of the time, the names of the files can be abbreviations or not include any spaces. This can make it hard to see exactly what functions the files have and how to search for them.
For example, one of the most common repositories on GitHub today you may want to download or add to your code is called “questdb.” Its description can be a little more helpful. It says its purpose is to be “An open-source SQL database designed to process time-series data, faster.”
If you have no idea where to begin on GitHub, consider looking on the Trending page to become more familiar with the formatting and capabilities of the platform. Not only that, but by seeing what is popular, you’ll be able to better understand what your competitors may be using in their programs.
Over time this will get easier. Remember that you can look up keywords to try to find what you’re looking for, or even search online what the best GitHub files are for your particular need. There are plenty of blog posts out on the web that will rank various GitHub files and repositories for plenty of different needs.
This can be an especially frustrating problem for non-developers or people who are first getting into code. While on the website, there will be a whole slew of new jargon all around.
All of these new words can make it feel impossible to read the website at times. People are constantly discussing local commits, pushed commits, Git, merge conflicts, hooks, and more.
Most people who use GitHub will most likely have a basis of knowledge about these topics. For example, almost everyone knows that “local files” refer to a specific kind that can override other program languages.
If you don’t know these terms, don’t despair! Everyone has to start somewhere, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t use GitHub. To begin, realize that it is okay to not understand everything at first. Look for context clues, and when all else fails, Google is your friend.
Consider starting a document with all of the new terms you are learning and writing definitions that make sense to you in it. That way, if you ever forget what a term means, you can look back to your document instead of having to re-learn it on Google again.
In addition, GitHub also offers a Learning Lab. This can be an excellent place to start, especially if you know you want to continue to use GitHub for more than just downloading files. There are a variety of courses, from a general intro class to creating your first GitHub Action to communicating using the Markdown feature.
In the step above, I told you about the GitHub Learning Lab. While this is an amazing resource, keep in mind that to use it, you will need to make an account on the GitHub website.
Just downloading the files does not require an account, but having one can be beneficial for educational resources and code editing. Below, I will highlight the three different packages that GitHub offers, as well as the features and pricing that each of them has.
The first option is the free version. This package is advertised for both individuals and organizations. The listed benefits include unlimited access to public/private repositories, 2,000 automation minutes per month, 500MB of storage, community support, and a few other features.
For just $4 a month per user, this list of features grows exponentially with the Team package. You will receive an extra 1,000 automation minutes and 2GB of Packages storage. Plus, you’ll have access to GitHub Codespaces, protected branches, web-based support, and more.
The last option that GitHub offers is for its Enterprise package. The pricing jumps from $4 to $21 a month per user. However, the features increase dramatically. This package offers everything from the previous two, except there are 50,000 automation minutes per month and 50GB of Packages storage. These members also have access to premium support, automatic updates, and SAML single sign-on.
Finally, this option includes GitHub Connect. Essentially, this feature allows enterprises to have a Cloud-based server as well as self-hosting capabilities.
Most people will be fine with either of the first two packages, but if necessary there is always room for growth in the program. By using GitHub, people will be able to have wide access to repositories full of potentially valuable files. Not only that, but with an account, users can take courses and even edit their codes safely, without fear of the possibility of destroying an important code.
If you’re a developer, GitHub is probably for you – it just depends on what kind of capacity you need it in.
GitHub continues to hit its stride as one of the most popular programming resources available for code sharing. As a social networking site for programmers, GitHub is a favorite of many companies and organizations looking to facilitate project management and remote collaboration efficiently. GitHub has created over 60 million new repositories, showcasing its relevance among brands and developers.
Let’s take a look at how GitHub works in more detail!
What Is GitHub?
GitHub is as a platform for hosting code, facilitating version control and collaborative efforts. It enables seamless project collaboration regardless of location. This guide instructs you in fundamental GitHub concepts such as repositories, branches, commits, and pull requests, offering a comprehensive understanding of these essential elements.
Programmers can pick source codes in many different languages and use Git, the command-line interface, to make and keep track of any changes. As a result, every team member receives help to work together on multiple projects from any location, thanks to top-notch collaboration. As a token of its flexibility, GitHub lets users review previous projects created at an earlier point in time.
With the meaning of GitHub explained and out of the way, you can’t help but wonder why it is so important to developers. Firstly, GitHub offers a unique, user-friendly interface that allows a novice coder to take advantage of Git. That’s great since, without GitHub, it would take more technical knowledge and use of the command line.
GitHub’s interface is easy enough to help individuals manage other projects, such as journals. Also, anybody can sign up and host a GitHub public code repository at no cost. That is why GitHub is especially popular with open-source projects. Further, GitHub helps organizations manage team members and security and develop internal projects.
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Get started now!Understanding GitHub
It’s not as straightforward to define GitHub or give such a platform a specific meaning. However, it is a web-based version control and collaboration platform for software developers. GitHub was founded on Git, an open-source code management system designed to help build software faster.
You can learn more about Git and how go about it in this video.
Further, Git stores the source code for a project while tracking the complete history of all changes to that code. With that, developers can collaborate effectively on projects through tools built for managing potential conflicting changes from multiple developers.
With GitHub, users can create accounts, upload files, and create coding projects. However, the major work of GitHub begins when users collaborate during projects. Teams are vital to the process because a group of people ultimately build many development projects, as opposed to coding individuals.
Sometimes, such teams work in a single location, working asynchronously. This gives birth to different challenges when creating collaborative projects with distributed teams. However, this process can be made simpler with GitHub meaning it is the game changer.
1️⃣ Firstly, every code and documentation are in one place to limit issues with access for anyone who wants to contribute to a project. Also, each repository comes with instructions and other details to help outline project goals and rules.
2️⃣ Secondly, coding gets more creative and abstract when two or more team members work on different code pieces. Since one part of the code can make the other fail, GitHub works to solve potential problems. It does so by showing how both files will change the main branch and identifying errors you can fix along the way.
Now that you know how GitHub works, what can you use it for? After reading this section, you should be able to give a valid explanation when asked, “what is GitHub used for?” Software developers use GitHub to create remote, public, or private repositories on the cloud. A repository is a coding project’s files and the revision history for each file.
After setting up a repository on GitHub, you can copy it to your device, then add and modify files locally and “push” your changes back to the repository. These changes are then displayed to the public or team members. There are also lots of additional platforms and tools, with lots of tutorials available, for example, GitHub Actions tutorial.
When you come across other version control systems like Mercurial and Apache Subversion, it’s easy to see why GitHub stands at the top. GitHub holds a commanding market share over other software and stands apart from other systems because of its robust platform and built-in user base.
Further, GitHub allows developers to collaborate more effectively and efficiently via tools that are easy to understand and tweak. Instead of starting from scratch, GitHub makes it easy to find and clone the perfect repositories for your project. You don’t need to hack solutions from scratch, thanks to simple actions.
GitHub Basics
When you think, “what is a repository GitHub,” it is a storage space or directory that holds all your project’s files and each file’s revision history. The repository helps you communicate and manage your project’s work inside it. Also called “repo,” it can be local to a folder on your computer or a storage space on GitHub. Whatever the case, you can keep code files, text, images, and more inside a repository.
GitHub uses its capabilities to help users create, clone, and fork a GitHub repository.
Are you still wondering, “what is a GitHub repository?” Follow the steps below to create one.
After these steps, you have successfully created your first repository with a README file.
Cloning a repository is just as easy. Follow these steps:
These steps will help you:
GitHub project management features are vast. It provides a place where project managers and developers can collaborate to coordinate, track, and update their work. With this, projects are fast, timely, and transparent.
Thanks to the GitHub introduction, you can publish packages privately, within the team, or publicly to the open-source community. You can then use or reuse the packages by downloading them from GitHub.
GitHub enables team members to review, develop, and propose new codes. They can also discuss any implementation and proposals before changing the source code.
GitHub is packed with dedicated tools to help individuals and teams identify and analyze vulnerabilities in the code that other tools tend to miss. Development teams everywhere can collaborate to secure the software supply chain from beginning to end.
With GitHub, teams carry the same mindset, which makes them organized. Also, moderation tools, such as Issue and Pull Request Locking, help the team to focus on the code.
Code hosting is another area that shows how functional GitHub is. You have all the code and documentation in one place. With the millions of repositories on GitHub, you have various tools to help you host and release code.
Collaborating with GitHub
There are several reasons why GitHub is used among teams and organizations, but how does it facilitate developer collaboration?
GitHub provides distributed version controls geared towards tracking and managing changes to software code. In line with this, several developers can work on a Git repository and track changes along the way.
Further, every team member can access the database simultaneously to view previous versions. As a result, it is easier for them to work simultaneously as a team, regardless of their location. Through version control, developers can also store the history of changes and who made them. This enables them to revert or look back to previous versions of documents and understand how contributions by different contributors have changed the project over time.
Branches, commits, and pull requests are some of the features that will make you ask yourself how does Git Hub work? A branch represents a parallel version of a repository. It remains in the repository without affecting the primary branch. This way, you can improve the code without altering the ‘live’ version.
A pull request flows from a branch and lets you inform other team members about changes you pushed to a branch in a repository. Once you open a pull request, you can discuss and review the potential changes with collaborators before adding follow-up commits (more on commits coming soon) before your changes merge into the base branch. For example, if a person has edited the remote file you’re both working on, you can pull the changes to your local copy and keep it updated.
As for commits, they let individuals and teams keep a record of the specific changes committed, who made them, and when. In addition, commits convey a brief description of what changes were made. Simply put, a commit is an individual change to a file or set of files.
It’s no secret that many organizations use GitHub for project management via GitHub Issues. So how does GitHub work for project managers? You can use it to track progress and encourage transparent communication among teams, especially when GitHub is integrated with first-class GitHub time-tracking software like Everhour. With this innovative integration, you can analyze reports, track time, automate payroll, and boost project management right from your GitHub page. The process is straightforward as well.
Use the following setup steps to use GitHub for project management.
The features of project management on GitHub include the following:
– Automated triggers to move tasks around.
– Milestones to help you track progress on a collection of issues or pull requests in a project.
– Wikis provide documentation and detailed information about the project, including its design, purpose, and goals.
– Integrations with tools like Everhour and Asana to aid project management.
GitHub Pricing and Options
Is GitHub free? With all the resources and qualities available, this question is inevitable. GitHub is free to an extent. For example, there’s free GitHub for personal accounts. You can use it to collaborate with an infinite number of people on an unlimited number of public repositories with a full feature set. That includes an unlimited number of private repositories with a limited feature set.
GitHub has the following pricing tiers:
For individuals and organizations.
Cost: $0 per year forever
Advanced collaboration and support for multiple teams.
Cost: $4 monthly per user
A wide range of features covering security, compliance, integrations, and everything in between.
Cost: $21 monthly per user
GitHub comes with many features, and if you’re starting, you can use the free tier to figure things out first. But the real deal begins with the paid accounts.
On the free version, individuals and organizations can use unlimited public and private repositories. That gives them some functionalities to perform actions on public repositories with some limits. Additionally, GitHub provides small storage of about 500MB for public repositories and allows unlimited collaborators.
The paid versions include the Team and Enterprise plans, with the former being the most popular version for developer teams. In the paid versions, users enjoy everything included in the Free tier plus protected branches, providing more security leverage for companies and individuals over their projects.
Further, you can expect 2GB of storage for public repositories on the Team tier. The Enterprise tier offers up to 50GB of GitHub package storage. Also, GitHub Connect is available on the Enterprise tier.
Advantages of GitHub
The uses of GitHub span many scopes and levels of application. That’s why it’s no wonder that it packs many advantages. Some of the advantages of GitHub are as follows:
✅ GitHub makes it easy for users to contribute to open-source projects. Whether that’s a wiki and issue tracker, or something else, you can contribute by forking a project, making changes, and sending a pull request via the GitHub web interface.
✅ GitHub provides exceptional documentation through the help section and guide for almost any topic you can think of.
✅ As one of the largest platforms for software developers, GitHub helps you get exposure to your work.
✅ Tracking changes in your code across versions is an advantage GitHub provides. It’s challenging to keep track of versions, such as changes in files, storage, etc. GitHub takes care of that and more. Everything gets noticed when you have a version history of your code.
✅ Multiple integration options make it easier to work on different projects. For example, you can have integrations with several platforms, such as Amazon, Google Cloud, Everhour, and Code Climate. Most importantly, GitHub integrates smoothly with Visual Studio Code—a popular code editor among software developers. And this integration eliminates the need to worry about VS Code font.
Now that we’re done answering the question “what is Git Hub?”, let’s discuss the reasons behind its popularity. Thanks to the sheer number of users it commands, GitHub can be likened to a den of developers. But why is that?
Firstly, GitHub is an affordable resource featuring a great open-source community. Secondly, as a cloud-based tool, codes and VS Code fonts are easily visible across the organization, facilitating every participant’s contributions.
Further, GitHub is widely used among developers because it allows collaboration with other developers around the globe. Developers can contribute and share their knowledge with the world.
You’re wondering what’s GitHub designed for. You don’t have to go far to find numerous use cases. GitHub is used to perform a variety of functions. The use cases span areas such as the following:
Generally, GitHub has changed the software development landscape, thanks to an incredibly efficient and easy-to-use tool. That has only seen it grow as one of the most widely used source code management systems. Further, GitHub has made it possible to work collaboratively with others while maintaining a usable history.
GitHub appeared built for experienced developers from the onset, but that notion has changed drastically. Improvements on the facade have made it simpler to use, even in complex situations. However, the best part is that there’s a lower barrier to entry and education needed for more junior or inexperienced developers.
Getting Started with GitHub
By way of an introduction to GitHub for beginners, you can follow these steps to get started:
Watch this video to see how GitHub works in a nutshell.
Apply the following tips to use GitHub Effectively
Additional resources for learning and using GitHub include the following:
Conclusion
What is GitHub? This article has answered the question in many ways. You learned more about GitHub, including these key takeaways:
Finally, understanding GitHub is essential for developers, especially those just starting. GitHub will help you find source codes in many languages and use the command-line interface, Git, to make and keep track of any changes. Further, understanding GitHub allows every team to collaborate on projects remotely.
You can also take a look at the list of GitHub alternatives to see how it fares against them, along with GitLab vs GitHub comparison.