Git & GitHub Roadmap
1. Basics of Version Control Systems (VCS)
Goal: Understand why version control is important.
● Topics to Cover:
○ What is Version Control?
○ Benefits of Version Control (tracking changes, collaboration,
rollback)
○ Centralized vs. Distributed Version Control Systems
○ Introduction to Git (a distributed VCS)
2. Setting Up Git
Goal: Install Git and configure basic settings.
● Steps:
1. Install Git:
■ Download Git and install it on your machine.
Initial Configuration:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "youremail@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main # Set 'main' as default branch
2. Check Configurations:
git config --list
3. Basic Git Commands
Goal: Learn how to create repositories, track files, and commit changes.
● Topics & Commands:
Initialize a Git Repository:
git init
Check the Repository Status:
git status
Adding Files to Staging Area:
git add <filename> # Add a specific file
git add . # Add all files
Committing Changes:
git commit -m "Your commit message"
Viewing Commit History:
git log
git log --oneline # Compact view
4. Understanding the Git Workflow
Goal: Grasp the basic Git workflow: Working Directory → Staging Area →
Repository.
● Topics:
○ Working Directory vs. Staging Area vs. Local Repository
○ The Lifecycle of a File in Git
○ Modifying, Staging, and Committing
Visualize this for students:
[Working Directory] --(git add)--> [Staging Area] --(git commit)--> [Local
Repository]
5. Working with GitHub
Goal: Learn how to link local repositories to remote repositories on GitHub.
● Steps:
1. Create a GitHub Account: Sign up here.
2. Create a Remote Repository on GitHub:
■ Go to GitHub → New Repository → Name it → Create.
Link Local Repo to GitHub:
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git
git push -u origin main
Pushing Changes:
git push
6. Cloning and Pulling Repositories
Goal: Learn how to work with existing repositories.
● Commands:
Cloning a Repository:
git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git
Pulling Changes from Remote:
git pull origin main
7. Branching and Merging (Important for Teaching!)
Goal: Understand how to create branches and merge them. This is essential for
collaborative development.
● Topics & Commands:
Create a New Branch:
git branch new-feature
Switch Between Branches:
git checkout new-feature
# or in one step:
git checkout -b new-feature
Merge Branches:
git checkout main
git merge new-feature
Delete a Branch (after merging):
git branch -d new-feature
8. Handling Merge Conflicts
Goal: Learn to handle conflicts when merging branches.
9. Working with .gitignore
Goal: Learn to ignore files that shouldn't be tracked by Git.
10. Undoing Changes
Goal: Learn how to undo mistakes and revert to previous versions.
Undo Changes in Working Directory:
git checkout -- <file> # Discard changes in a file
Unstage Files:
git reset HEAD <file> # Remove from staging area
Amend the Last Commit:
git commit --amend
Revert a Commit (without rewriting history):
git revert <commit-hash>
11. Collaborating on GitHub (Fork, Pull Requests, Issues)
Goal: Learn to contribute to open-source projects.
● Topics:
1. Forking Repositories:
■ Fork a repo on GitHub to create a copy in your account.
2. Creating Pull Requests:
■ Push your changes to your forked repo and create a pull
request to the original repository.
3. Using Issues:
■ Report bugs or request features using GitHub Issues.
12. Advanced Git Concepts
Goal: Dive into more advanced workflows.
Rebasing:
git rebase main
Stashing (Saving Work Temporarily):
git stash
git stash apply
Tagging:
git tag v1.0
git push origin v1.0
Cherry-picking (Apply specific commits):
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
13. Best Practices
Goal: Develop good habits when using Git.
● Best Practices:
○ Write clear and concise commit messages.
○ Commit small, logical changes frequently.
○ Use branches for features, bug fixes, and experiments.
○ Always pull the latest changes before starting new work.
14. Tools & Resources
● Graphical Interfaces:
○ GitHub Desktop (for beginners)
○ GitKraken, Sourcetree
Visualizing Git History:
git log --graph --oneline --all
●
● Learning Platforms:
○ Git Documentation
○ GitHub Learning Lab
○ Learn Git Branching (Interactive)
