GitHub Elements

The below outline served as an agenda for group GitHub training conducted in early 2024. It can be considered a checklist for GitHub tasks that everyone should be able to perform.

Element 1: Introduction to GitHub and its Importance in Scientific Computing
- Overview of GitHub
- Importance of version control in software development
- Role of GitHub in collaborative research and development
- GitHub’s impact on reproducibility and transparency in science

Element 2: Setting Up and Navigating GitHub
- Creating a GitHub account
- Overview of the GitHub interface
- Key terminology (repository, branch, commit, pull request, merge, etc.)

Element 3: Creating and Cloning Repositories
- Introduction to repositories
- How to create a new repository
- Initializing a repository with README, .gitignore, and license
- Cloning a repository to your local machine

Element 4: Branches and Commits
- The concept of branches in version control
- Creating and switching between branches
- Making changes and committing them to a branch

Element 5: Pull Requests and Code Reviews
- The purpose of pull requests in collaborative development
- Creating a pull request
- Reviewing pull requests from collaborators
- Best practices for code reviews

Element 6: Merging Pull Requests and Resolving Conflicts
- The merge process - Handling merge conflicts
- Strategies for successful merges