Non-programmers quick guide to Git

We offer a quick guide designed for GitHub beginners to easily download and run the project. However, to gain a deeper understanding of Git and how we use it, the more detailed breakdown on this page is essential.

For the Video Learners

We have an hour long format video that can give you a visual guide to how to use GitHub. See "Traba's Git Seminar by [P1]" page

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a distributed source control tool that uses the Git language. For a presentation on source control and GitHub, watch Traba's presentation below or click HERE to download the presentation for leisurely viewing.

Why do we use GitHub?

As mentioned in the introduction, we use GitHub repositories for handling source control. Source control is a means for a mass collective to contribute to a project without ruining the main version of the project. We contribute to the main development without editing the main development. [P1] already has a GitHub setup, so that is why we use GitHub over something like Perforce.

How do we use GitHub?

There are a few various methods of interacting with GitHub repositories. The command line is the least attractive way of doing it but it is the foundation of all the other ways. In IDE's such as Visual Studio, if you open a Github project there are tools built-in to help you. Also, Github has created their own application called GitHub Desktop.

For ease of use and quick startup for everyone we recommend using GitHub Desktop. This guide will be referencing Github Desktop in detail. The video below shows how easy it is to get started with GitHub and GitHub Desktop for Unity projects.

As a new member your main concern will be installing GitHub Desktop (or using your preferred method) and cloning our project

There are many different ways to interact with GitHub and accomplish the same things. It comes down to personal preference and comfortability. There are free ones, paid ones, and some more commonly seen in professional settings. All are acceptable as long as you know how to use your prefered method.

Some alternatives are:

• GitKraken
• Plastic SCM
• Git SCM (Git Bash)
• Sourcetree
• Smartgit
• Many more...

If you need to gain access, your point of contact will be Samuel Martin. You can send them a direct message in Discord asking them to gain access to either of the repositories you need access to (Most likely the prototype at first unless joining a Crew). Ensure to include the email you use for GitHub, as they need that to add you.

What is a Pull Request? (PR)

A Pull Request, or PR, is a request to pull the changes you made on your branch to the main develop branch.

Advanced Git Topics