What Is GitHub? Here’s a Guide for Beginners

What is GitHub? If you’ve ever dabbled in coding, software development, or even just heard people in tech talk, you’ve likely come across the term, GitHub. What is it exactly? Is it just a fancy website for developers? A tool? A social network for coders?

This article will help you understand the basics of GitHub, especially if you are a newcomer to the GitHub world!

What Is GitHub? Terms You Need to Understand

In simple words, GitHub is a platform for version control and collaboration, built around Git. To understand this platform better, first, let’s know about the two terms, Git and repository.

Term 1. Git

GitHub is the combination of Git and “hub.” Git is a version control system. It helps users record the changed version of the public files or content on GitHub, and co-work with others to modify the different content.

For example, for developers, Git helps them track changes in their code, collaborate with others, and manage different versions of their projects. Let’s say, think of it like the “track changes” feature in Word documents, but for code.

Additionally, if something breaks in your project. You can roll back to an early version or track down when the issue was introduced.

The other half is “hub”. GitHub is the “hub” where developers can host their Git repositories, share their work, and collaborate with others. It’s more like an expert social network for users, especially developers, but with practical tools for coding projects.

Term 2. Repository in GitHub

You will meet the repository everywhere in the GitHub world. Generally speaking, a repository is like a storage space where you keep and manage files, usually for a project. It helps you organize, track, and share files easily.

In coding, specifically, in GitHub’s version control system, a repository (repo) is like a folder for coding edits. In this folder, there’s a data structure. It stores metadata for a set of files or directory structure. Every file has different kinds of codes.

Further Thought: Is GitHub Only Used for Coding?

GitHub isn’t just a storage space for your code. It can also be used for many other things like storing any types of files, documents, images, PDFs, spreadsheets, etc.

What’s more, many users use GitHub to write and share articles. GitHub supports Markdown, you can write formatted documents easily, such as technical blogs, documentation for projects, personal journals or study notes.

Collectively, GitHub is not just for code. You can use it for writing, collaboration, research, project management, and even hosting a website! Keep learning to explore more possibilities.

Why Is GitHub Important and So Popular?

Launched in 2008, GitHub has become a cornerstone of modern software development. It now has over 100 million users. Why do so many people use this platform? Here are some reasons:

Open-Source Community

GitHub hosts millions of open-source projects, for example, the DeepSeek-ai on GitHub. Global developers can contribute to these projects, fix bugs, add features, or simply learn from others’ code.

Related: What Is DeepSeek AI? A Quick Guide to This Chinese AI

Collaboration Across Teams

GitHub has many tools and features, such as pull requests, issue tracking, and project boards. It’s easy for teams to work together, even if they’re spread across the globe.

Work Collection for Developers

If you are a developer, GitHub is more than just a tool – it’s a portfolio. Some employers or bosses will look at your GitHub profile to assess your coding skill, contributions, and the kinds of projects you’ve worked on.

Integrated Workflow

GitHub can be seamlessly integrated with other tools like CI/CD pipelines, project management tools (e.g., Trello), and cloud services. It’s a one-stop shop for coding and deployment.

Learning and Experimentation

If you are a beginner, you can use GitHub to explore others’ codebases, practice coding, and learn from experienced developers. Or, you can gain some knowledge or resources that you are interested in.

Key Features of GitHub

To fully understand how GitHub works, let’s look at some of its standout features.

Repository (Repos)

As mentioned before, a repository is like a folder for your project, including the code, documentation, and version history. Your repos can be public (visible to everyone) or private (accessible only to specific people).

Commits

When you make changes to your code or content, you “commit” those changes with a message describing what you need. Commits are like snapshots of your project at a specific point in time.

Branches

Branches allow you to work on different versions of your project simultaneously. For example, you may have a “main” branch for the stable version of your project and a “feature” branch for experimenting with new features.

Pull Requests (PRs)

A pull request is a way to propose changes to a project. If you have prepared for your new edits to the project, you can request contributions to it. Other team members can review your changes, suggest improvements, and approve or reject them. This is one of GitHub’s most powerful collaboration tools.

GitHub Issues

GitHub Issues are like to-do lists for your project. You can track bugs, suggest new features, or plan tasks with this function. Issues keep the team organized and focused.

GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is a feature for automating workflows. For example, you can set up an action to automatically test your code whenever new changes are pushed to the repository.

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is a built-in AI coding assistant. It can help you write code faster, suggest code completions, and even generate full functions based on your input. Powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, it can understand your code to give smart suggestions.

FAQs – What Is GitHub

Q1. Is GitHub free to use?

Yes! GitHub offers a free plan with unlimited public and private repositories. There are also paid plans with extra features.

Q2. Do I need to know “Git” to use GitHub?

No, but learning Git helps. You can also easily manage your projects using GitHub Desktop or the GitHub website.

Q3. Can I use GitHub without coding?

Yes. Except for coding, you can store documents, notes, and other files or collaborate on non-code projects.

Q4. How do I start using GitHub?

To start using GitHub, just a few simple steps:

• Sign up at GitHub.com
• Create a repository
• Upload files or use Git
• Commit and push changes
• Collaborate with others

If you want more detailed steps, you can visit the GitHub Docs (https://docs.github.com/). There are very detailed guides.

Conclusion

What is GitHub? GitHub is a platform that lets developers collaborate, share their work, and learn from one another. This article mainly explains the basics of GitHub and its main features. Don’t worry if it feels confused at the very beginning – like any new skill, it takes time and practice! Go ahead and try creating your first repository on GitHub!