What Is GitHub, and What Is Its Main focus?

What Is GitHub?

GitHub is a website and service that we constantly hear geeks raving about.

You must first understand Git in order to understand GitHub.

Git is a version control system, but what exactly does that mean?

When developers create something (an Android app, for example), they constantly change the code, releasing new versions before and after the first official release.

Version control systems keep track of these revisions by storing the changes in a central repository.

Developers can easily collaborate because they can download a new version of the software, make changes, and upload the most recent revision.

These new changes are visible to all developers, who can contribute and download them.

Git is a command-line tool, but the hub—website (GitHub.com) where developers store their projects—is at the center of everything involving Git.

GitHub is popular among geeks for a variety of reasons:

Repository

Is the location where all of the files for a specific project are kept.

Each project has its own repository, which can be accessed via a unique URL.

Pull Requests

A pull request is a way for a developer to notify team members that a feature or fix that was developed on a separate branch is complete.

For example, I made a fantastic revision to the project and would like it to be acknowledged by the original developers—perhaps even included in the official project/repository.

Social networking

The social networking aspect is likely its most powerful feature, allowing projects to grow more than any of the other features available.

Each GitHub user has their own profile, which functions as a resume, displaying their previous work and contributions to other projects via pull requests.

Forking a Repo

Is when you create a new project based on an already existing project.