Version Control with Git

This lesson uses the application GitHub Desktop to track changes in files.
It uses version control to manage files. Version control is better than mailing files back and forth:

Teams are not the only ones to benefit from version control: lone researchers can benefit immensely. Keeping a record of what was changed, when, and why is extremely useful for all researchers if they ever need to come back to the project later on (e.g., a year later, when memory has faded).

Version control is the lab notebook of the digital world: it’s what professionals use to keep track of what they’ve done and to collaborate with other people. Every large software development project relies on it, and most programmers use it for their small jobs as well. And it isn’t just for software: books, papers, small data sets, and anything that changes over time or needs to be shared can and should be stored in a version control system.

Prerequisites

No previous experience is required, although some experience with the command line is recommended for anyone planning on trying Git through a terminal.

We also recommend taking a look at the Library Carpentry description of Git/GitHub for some background.

Schedule

Setup Download files required for the lesson
00:00 1. Automated Version Control What is version control and why should I use it?
00:05 2. Setting Up Git How do I get set up to use Git?
00:10 3. Creating a Repository Where does Git store information?
00:20 4. Tracking Changes How do I record changes in Git?
How do I check the status of my version control repository?
How do I record notes about what changes I made and why?
00:40 5. Ignoring Things How can I tell Git to ignore files I don’t want to track?
00:45 6. Remotes in GitHub How do I share my changes with others on the web?
01:15 7. Collaborating How can I use version control to collaborate with other people?
01:40 8. Conflicts What do I do when my changes conflict with someone else’s?
01:55 Finish

The actual schedule may vary slightly depending on the topics and exercises chosen by the instructor.