What Is GitHub?

Why You Need GitHub

Imagine working on a team. What happens when multiple people edit the same document at the same time?

report_final.docx
report_final2.docx
report_REAL_final.docx
report_REAL_REAL_final_john_edit.docx

Version control solves this problem. GitHub is a platform that makes version control easy in the cloud.

Git vs GitHub

This is a common point of confusion.

| | Git | GitHub | | ------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Type | Tool (software) | Service (website) | | Role | Tracks change history | Hosts Git repos in the cloud + collaboration | | Analogy | A camera that takes photos | A cloud album service that stores them |

You can use Git without GitHub. But with GitHub, you can access your code from anywhere and collaborate with teammates.

Similar services include GitLab and Bitbucket, but GitHub is the most widely used.

Key GitHub Terms

Here are the terms you will see throughout this course.

Repository (Repo) A folder that contains all of a project's files and their change history. Think of it like a shared Google Drive folder, except every edit is recorded.

Commit The act of saving changes. Think of it as "save + leave a note." Each commit records what changed and why.

Branch A diverging point in your work. A copy where you can experiment with new features without touching the original.

Pull Request (PR) A request to merge your changes into the original. It is the core mechanism for code review.

Creating a GitHub Account

Go to github.com
Click Sign up
Enter your email, password, and username
- Your username appears in your URL: github.com/username
- A nickname works fine instead of your real name
Complete email verification
Adding a profile photo and a short bio is recommended

"Why?" — Why Learn GitHub?

You don't have to be a developer to use it

GitHub manages not just code but documents, data, design files, and more. Many teams use it for planning docs, meeting notes, and translation work.

It becomes your resume

Your GitHub profile is a developer portfolio. A consistent commit history (the contribution graph) proves your activity. Many employers ask for a GitHub URL.

The world's open source lives here

Millions of open-source projects like Linux, VS Code, and React are on GitHub. If you find a bug, you can fix it and contribute directly.

Deep Dive

GitHub vs GitLab vs Bitbucket — Which one should you use?

All three services provide Git repository hosting.

GitHub: The most widely used worldwide. The center of open source. Owned by Microsoft.
GitLab: Can be self-hosted. Strong CI/CD features. Popular with privacy-focused teams.
Bitbucket: Integrates with Jira and Confluence. Suited for companies using Atlassian products.

If you are just starting out, GitHub is the best choice. It has the largest community and the most resources.

Creating a GitHub Profile README

GitHub has a special repository trick. If you create a repository with the same name as your username, its README.md will be displayed on your profile page.

For example, if your username is daleschool, create a daleschool/daleschool repository and write a README.

It is common to include a self-introduction, tech stack, and project links there.

Go to github.com and create an account. (If you already have one, log in.)
Visit your profile page (github.com/yourusername) and see what information is shown.
Go to Settings and add a profile photo and name.

Q1. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between Git and GitHub?

A) Git is the paid version of GitHub
B) GitHub is a cloud service that uses Git
C) Git and GitHub are exactly the same thing
D) You cannot use Git without GitHub