5 GitHub Tips for New Coders

As an experienced full-stack developer, I‘ve seen firsthand how mastering Git and GitHub can supercharge your coding career. These powerful tools are essential for effective collaboration, version control, and showcasing your skills to potential employers.

In this in-depth guide, I‘ll share my top five GitHub tips for new coders, diving deep into each topic with insights gained from years in the trenches. Whether you‘re just starting your coding journey or looking to take your abilities to the next level, these expert tips will help you navigate the world of GitHub with confidence.

1. Familiarize Yourself with Basic Git Commands and Workflow

Before you can leverage the full power of GitHub, you need to understand the basics of Git, the version control system that serves as its foundation. Git is ubiquitous in the software development world, with a 2021 survey by Stack Overflow revealing that 93.9% of professional developers use Git for version control.[^1]

To get started, familiarize yourself with these essential Git commands:

• git init: Initialize a new Git repository
• git clone: Clone an existing repository to your local machine
• git add: Stage changes to be committed
• git commit: Save changes to the local repository with a message
• git push: Send local commits to the remote repository
• git pull: Fetch changes from the remote repository and merge them into the local branch
• git branch: List, create, or delete branches
• git merge: Combine changes from one branch into another
• git status: View the current state of the repository, including staged and unstaged changes

Here‘s a typical Git workflow in action:

1. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix:

   git checkout -b my-feature-branch

2. Make changes to the code in your preferred code editor.

3. Stage the changes you want to commit:

   git add path/to/changed/files

4. Commit your changes with a descriptive message:

   git commit -m "Implement new feature X"

5. Push your local commits to the remote repository:

   git push -u origin my-feature-branch

6. Open a pull request on GitHub to propose merging your changes into the main branch.

Mastering these fundamentals will enable you to effectively collaborate with others and keep track of your project‘s history. As Linus Torvalds, the creator of Git, famously said, "Git is a stupid content tracker at the lowest level."[^2] By understanding how Git works under the hood, you‘ll be able to use it more effectively in your daily work.

[^1]: Stack Overflow. (2021). Developer Survey 2021. Retrieved from https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#section-most-popular-technologies-other-tools
[^2]: Torvalds, L. (2005). Re: Errors GITtifying GCC and binutils. Retrieved from https://marc.info/?l=git&m=111314792424707

2. Make Use of GitHub‘s Collaboration Features

GitHub is more than just a place to store your Git repositories—it‘s a powerful platform for collaboration and project management. By leveraging features like Issues, Pull Requests, and Projects, you can streamline your workflow and work more effectively with your team.

Issues

Issues are a great way to track bugs, enhancements, and other tasks within a repository. You can assign issues to team members, categorize them with labels, and reference relevant lines of code. In 2020, GitHub reported that over 25 million issues were closed across public and private repositories.[^3]

To create an issue:

1. Navigate to your repository on GitHub.
2. Click on the "Issues" tab.
3. Click the green "New issue" button.
4. Provide a descriptive title and detailed information about the issue.
5. Assign the issue to relevant team members and add appropriate labels.

Pull Requests

Pull requests (PRs) are the heart of collaboration on GitHub. They allow you to propose changes to a repository, discuss them with your team, and merge them in once approved. In 2020, over 87 million pull requests were merged on GitHub.[^4]

Here‘s how to create a pull request:

1. Push your feature branch to the remote repository.
2. Navigate to the repository on GitHub.
3. Click on the "Pull requests" tab.
4. Click the green "New pull request" button.
5. Select your feature branch as the "compare" branch and the main branch as the "base" branch.
6. Provide a clear title and description for your pull request.
7. Click "Create pull request" to open it for review.

Your team members can now review your changes, leave comments, and suggest improvements. Once the PR is approved, you can merge it into the main branch.

Projects

GitHub Projects help you organize and prioritize your work using customizable kanban-style boards. You can create columns for different stages of progress, add cards for individual tasks, and drag and drop them as work progresses.

To create a project:

1. Navigate to your repository on GitHub.
2. Click on the "Projects" tab.
3. Click the green "New project" button.
4. Choose a template or start with a blank project.
5. Customize your columns and add cards for tasks or issues.

By using Projects to visualize your team‘s workflow, you can identify bottlenecks, track progress, and ensure everyone stays aligned on priorities.

[^3]: GitHub. (2020). The State of the Octoverse. Retrieved from https://octoverse.github.com/
[^4]: GitHub. (2020). The State of the Octoverse. Retrieved from https://octoverse.github.com/

3. Explore and Contribute to Open Source Projects

One of the best ways to improve your coding skills and build your professional network is by exploring and contributing to open source projects on GitHub. By working on real-world codebases and collaborating with experienced developers, you‘ll gain valuable experience and exposure to industry best practices.

To find open source projects to contribute to:

1. Browse GitHub‘s "Explore" page to discover popular and trending repositories.
2. Search for projects using keywords related to your interests or preferred programming languages.
3. Check out resources like "Awesome for Beginners"[^5] and "First Timers Only"[^6] that curate beginner-friendly issues.

Once you‘ve found a project you‘d like to contribute to:

1. Read the project‘s README, CONTRIBUTING, and CODE_OF_CONDUCT files to understand the project‘s goals, guidelines, and expectations.
2. Browse the open issues and look for ones labeled "good first issue," "beginner-friendly," or similar.
3. Fork the repository and create a new branch for your changes.
4. Make your changes, commit them with descriptive messages, and push them to your forked repository.
5. Open a pull request to the original repository, clearly explaining your changes and referencing any relevant issues.

Remember, contributing to open source isn‘t just about writing code. You can also help by improving documentation, submitting bug reports, or providing feedback on other people‘s pull requests.

Participating in open source projects can have a significant impact on your career prospects. A study by Linux Foundation found that 64% of hiring managers consider open source contributions when evaluating candidates.[^7] By building a public portfolio of your work on GitHub, you demonstrate your skills, initiative, and ability to collaborate effectively.

[^5]: Awesome for Beginners. (n.d.). GitHub repository. Retrieved from https://github.com/mungell/awesome-for-beginners
[^6]: First Timers Only. (n.d.). GitHub repository. Retrieved from https://github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions
[^7]: Linux Foundation. (2020). 2020 Open Source Jobs Report. Retrieved from https://www.linuxfoundation.org/resources/publications/open-source-jobs-report-2020/

4. Keep Commits Small and Write Descriptive Messages

As you work on projects, it‘s essential to keep your commits focused and your messages informative. This practice makes it easier for others (and your future self) to understand the purpose and impact of each change.

Aim to make each commit revolve around a single logical change, such as fixing a specific bug, implementing a new feature, or refactoring a particular piece of code. Avoid mixing unrelated changes in a single commit, as this can make it difficult to understand and review.

Commit Size	Percentage
< 10 lines	42%
10-50 lines	37%
> 50 lines	21%

Table 1: Commit size distribution in popular GitHub repositories[^8]

When writing commit messages, follow these best practices:

• Use the imperative mood, as if completing the sentence "If applied, this commit will…"
• Keep the first line concise (50 characters or less), and use it to summarize the main change
• Provide additional context in the body of the message, explaining the motivation behind the change and any relevant details
• Reference related issues or pull requests using GitHub‘s cross-referencing syntax (e.g., "Fixes #123" or "Closes #456")

Here are some examples of effective commit messages:

Add search functionality to user dashboard

- Implement search bar in dashboard header
- Create API endpoint to handle search queries
- Display search results in paginated list
- Update dashboard tests to cover new functionality

Closes #123

Fix memory leak in image processing library

- Identify and fix source of memory leak in image resizing function
- Add unit tests to verify proper resource cleanup
- Update documentation to mention performance improvements

Fixes #456

By keeping your commits focused and your messages informative, you make it easier for others to review and understand your work. This practice also simplifies the process of troubleshooting issues and reverting changes if necessary.

[^8]: Alali, A., Kagdi, H., & Maletic, J. I. (2008). What‘s a typical commit? A characterization of open source software repositories. 2008 16th IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension, 182-191. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPC.2008.17

5. Use GitHub Pages to Showcase Your Projects

GitHub Pages is a free hosting service that allows you to create websites directly from your GitHub repositories. By using GitHub Pages to showcase your projects, you can demonstrate your skills and attract potential collaborators or employers.

To create a GitHub Pages site:

1. Create a new repository or navigate to an existing one.
2. Ensure your repository has an index.html file in the root directory or on a specific branch (e.g., gh-pages).
3. Go to the repository‘s settings and scroll down to the "GitHub Pages" section.
4. Choose the source branch for your site (e.g., main or gh-pages).
5. Select a theme using the built-in theme chooser, or provide your own custom CSS and HTML.
6. Click "Save" and your site will be published at https://<username>.github.io/<repository>.

GitHub Pages supports a variety of content types and frameworks, including:

• Static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files
• Jekyll, a popular static site generator
• React, Angular, and Vue, using build tools like GitHub Actions

By creating a portfolio site showcasing your projects, you can provide context for your work, highlight your skills, and make it easier for others to discover and engage with your code. Here‘s an example of an impressive portfolio site built with GitHub Pages:

Figure 1: An example portfolio site built with GitHub Pages

In addition to personal portfolio sites, GitHub Pages is also commonly used for:

• Project documentation
• Online resumes or CVs
• Event or conference websites
• Blog or tutorial sites

A survey by Stack Overflow found that 80% of developers consider a candidate‘s personal projects and open source contributions when evaluating their skills.[^9] By leveraging GitHub Pages to showcase your work, you increase your visibility and make a stronger impression on potential employers or collaborators.

[^9]: Stack Overflow. (2020). Developer Survey 2020. Retrieved from https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2020#work-importance-of-personal-projects

Conclusion

Git and GitHub are essential tools for any developer, but mastering them takes time and practice. By following these five tips—familiarizing yourself with Git basics, leveraging GitHub‘s collaboration features, contributing to open source, writing effective commits, and showcasing your work with GitHub Pages—you‘ll be well on your way to becoming a GitHub pro.

Remember, everyone starts somewhere. Don‘t be afraid to ask questions, learn from others, and make mistakes along the way. The GitHub community is vast and supportive, with countless resources available to help you grow and succeed.

As you continue your coding journey, keep exploring new features, best practices, and opportunities to collaborate. With dedication and persistence, you‘ll soon be leveraging the full power of Git and GitHub to build amazing things and advance your career.

Happy coding!