Github Project Workflow: Local Folder - Github

Git and Github are both open-source tools used to manage and collaborate on software projects. While Git handles the version control system, Github serves as a platform to store, track, and collaborate on codes. The workflow of transferring a project from a local folder to Github using Git involves several steps, including configuring a Git account, moving into the project's directory, creating folders for the project structure, and adding files and data to the repository.

To begin, ensure that the Git account is properly configured and test the SSH connection using the command ssh -T git@github.com. Change the current working directory to the Desktop with cd Desktop and then change to the project folder using pwd, which stands for "print working directory." Create the project folder, for instance, a Kenya Road Network Analysis folder, by using mkdir Kenya Road Network Analysis.

Navigate into the project folder with cd Kenya Roads Newtork Analysis and verify the project folder by running pwd.

Organize the project by creating additional folders within the main project folder for different file types, such as data, codes, and dashboards. For example, create a folder named data with mkdir data. Create a README file to provide an overview of the project using the command touch README.md. The README file can be edited using various methods, such as echo or nano.

For instance, echo "# Kenya Roads Network Analysis" will provide a basic structure for the README file. Finally, save and view the README file using cat README.md.

To initialize the Git repository, run git init, which creates an empty Git repository. Check the status of the repository with git status, which will indicate whether files are untracked or not. Git organizes files into four main areas: the working directory, the staging area, the local Git repository, and the GitHub repository.

To stage a specific file, use git add README.md. To stage the entire project, use git add .. After staging, create the first commit using git commit -m "Add kenya road network analysis project," which allows users to create a checkpoint of the project's current state. View the commit history by running git log and confirm the branch being used by running git branch.

If the branch is not main, rename it using git branch -M main. Connect to Github by creating a new repository, specifying a title and description, and selecting either Public or Private. Copy the connection options provided by Github, which typically include an SSH connection. Add the Git remote origin by running git remote add origin (github connection), followed by checking the remote connection with git remote -v.

Finally, push the project to Github using git push -u origin main, and verify the project's presence on Github.