GitHub tutorial: 10 Tricks and Tips to boost productivity

GitHub is a web-based hosting service that allows developers to store and manage their projects, source code, and project files. In this article, you will learn 10 new hacks on how you can use GitHub more effectively.

Nov 20, 2023
GitHub tutorial: 10 Tricks and Tips to boost productivity
People are proud of themselves for highly-anticipated contributions. It should be no surprise then that when a particular person works on a project with an undisputed reputation, such as the open source software Git, there's a lot of attention paid to that person's contribution.
This year, the developer community observed GitHub mark over 20 billion repositories and more than 60 billion commit in history. Git definitely makes the difference between being a contributing developer and not, and GitHub wishes to make it easier for everyone to understand how to contribute effectively to projects.
In this article, you will learn 10 new hacks on how you can use GitHub more effectively.
But, before that let's get to know a little about GitHub

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a web-based hosting service that allows developers to store and manage their projects, source code, and project files.
It is also used to organize and share project files, manage the changes made to those files, and coordinate work on a team of developers. It is easy to use for beginners as well as experienced coders. You just need to sign up for an account and upload your project file on GitHub. It will be automatically shared with other users who are interested in the same project or want to download it from GitHub.
There are different types of repositories available on GitHub which includes:
  • You can also choose the free plan that allows you to create one public repository with 5GB storage space.
  • The paid plans start at $7 per month per user and include unlimited private repositories, larger storage space (up to 2 GB), more users, team management tools etc.
The best part about using this service is that you don't have to worry about storing or sharing any sensitive data because all information stored in GitHub is completely encrypted by default.
The key lies in their infrastructure where only authorized people get access so there's no chance of anyone snooping around your data or getting hold of it illegally! So you can safely say that this is a safe place for all your information.

Features of GitHub

GitHub is a code hosting service. It's like a website where you can upload your code and share it with other people. In fact, this is the place where all the open source projects are hosted, including popular apps like JIRA and Jira Software Incubator.
GitHub also has features such as:
  • Issue tracking – Whenever you have an issue or bug in your code, you can easily log it on GitHub. If other developers come across that particular issue, they will be able to add their comments to it so that everyone will know about what needs to be done next.
  • Pull requests – You can add changes directly from your computer to the repository of another developer without going through any extra steps like sending an email or making a phone call or mailing the files manually by using pull requests.
  • Free private repositories – This feature allows users to host private repositories for personal use without having access to anyone else's account information. All data stored in these private repositories is kept confidential unless specified otherwise by the user who created them.
Overall, GitHub is a great code hosting service that offers many features to make coding easier. Not only does it provide an easy way for developers to share their code with each other, but it also has features such as issue tracking and pull requests which make collaboration between team members much simpler.
Now let's get into the main game

10 new hacks that will make your GitHub more effective

1. Use GitHub for code collaboration

One of the great features of GitHub is its ability to help developers collaborate on their projects. With pull requests and issue tracking, you can easily keep track of what needs to be done and who is responsible for doing it. This makes coding much easier and more efficient, allowing you to get your project completed faster while also ensuring that everyone involved understands the codebase better.

2. Trace changes in a file with Git blame

If you need to track down who changed a particular line of code in an existing project, Git can help. With its ability to trace changes in files, you can easily see which developer made the change and why. This information is helpful when trying to figure out which lines of code are causing problems or when debugging errors.

3. Use GitHubARM for rapid prototyping

If you're looking for a way to quickly test ideas without having to write any code, GitHubARM is a great option. With this interface, you can create and manage projects without having to worry about the underlying codebase. This makes it easy to experiment with new ideas without having to risk affecting anything else in your project.

4. Use GitHub Pages for simple web development

If you're looking for an easy way to get started building websites using HTML and CSS, GitHub Pages is a great option. With this platform, you can create a web page without having to worry about the underlying codebase. This means that you can quickly and easily test your ideas without needing to commit any changes to your project.

5.Comment your commits

When you make a commit to your project, it's important to include a comment that provides context and detail about what was changed. This allows other developers who are working on the project to understand the changes that were made and why they're necessary. Comments also help keep track of which changes need to be reverted or updated in future commits.
Git is a powerful tool for managing code projects, and by using these tips, you can make sure that your project stays on track and is easier to work with.

6. Linking to code snippets

This isn't really a secret, but it's not well known, and it occasionally blows people's minds. When examining a file, you may connect to individual lines of code by clicking the line number. The line number (for example, #L1337) is attached to the URL by default, so you will always be taken to that line.
Unfortunately, if the file is modified, removed, or renamed, the link will no longer function properly. To build a canonical URL that will always function, press y or click Copy permalink.

7. Keyboard tags

You can use <ons> tags to make text appear like a button, which is slightly different from regular backticked text. It’s perfect for documenting things like keyboard shortcuts or game controls in your READMEs/wikis.

8. Send line links

Did you know that you share links to a certain code line (or multiple lines)? Simply select the line in the code view and you’ll see how the URL will change. You can even select multiple lines by pressing “SHIFT”.

9. Tips for Markdown formatting that are a must-have

GitHub Flavored Markdown is wonderful for basic text and table formatting, but you may need to be creative to get it to do what you want.

10. Keyboard shortcuts

We utilise keyboard shortcuts for a variety of apps and scenarios. Why not do the same on GitHub.com? If you press "?" on any GitHub page, you'll see a list of shortcuts that may be used on that page:
The following GitHub shortcuts were quite beneficial to me:
  • To concentrate on the search bar, press "s."
  • To switch to your code, press "gc."
  • To return to your dashboard, press "gd."
  • “gi” for going to your issues

Closing thoughts

There you have it - 10 essential tips for using GitHub effectively. If there’s something else that you think is important to know read our other blogs. Happy coding!
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