Git Basics Lab

Learning Goals

Understand how to complete labs on Learn
Apply what you've learned about Git version control
Initialize a new Git repository
Stage and commit new content
Create a remote repository on GitHub
Connect the newly create local repository with the remote on GitHub

Introduction

So far lessons have only contained written content on specific topics. All you needed to do was read through each lesson and continue on. This lesson, however, is considered a lab. Labs are exercises that have some written content to guide you, but also contain tests that must be passed in order to complete the lesson.

Now that you've learned about Git version control, in this lab, we're going to go through the entire process of creating a local Git repository, creating an initial commit and pushing that work to a remote repo stored on GitHub.

NOTE: If you are new to using Learn.co and this is your first lab, welcome! This lesson will include all the steps necessary to submit your lab work to Learn.co.

Getting Started

To start work on this lab, while on Learn.co, click the "Open IDE" button.

If you are using the in-browser Learn IDE, the IDE will open on the page

If you are using the Learn IDE on your computer, the IDE should open automatically

If you are using your own local environment set up, you will need to manually fork and clone this lesson. Click on the GitHub button next to "Open IDE" to visit this lab's repository. Once there, create a personal fork of the repo and clone it down

Once you've got the lesson open, run learn in the command line. Six failed tests should print out, starting with this:

this lab
  1) has a folder named my-repository
  2) has a valid git repository initialized for the my-repository folder
  3) has a README.md file in the my-repository folder

the local repository
  4) has README.md as a tracked file
  5) has at least one commit
  6) has been pushed up to the remote repository


0 passing (42ms)
6 failing

1) this lab
     has a folder named my-repository:
   AssertionError: no folder name "my-repository" was found: value: expected './my-repository' to exist
    at Function.<anonymous> (node_modules/chai-fs/lib/assertions/directory.js:21:53)
    at Function.ctx.(anonymous function) [as directory] (node_modules/chai/lib/chai/utils/addMethod.js:41:25)
    at Function.assert.isDirectory (node_modules/chai-fs/lib/assertions/directory.js:34:35)
    at Context.it (test/index-test.js:11:19)
    ...

Each failed test includes an explanation.

In the first test seen above, for instance, it says this lab has a folder name my-repository, followed by AssertionError: no folder name "my-repository" was found.

This first test is looking specifically for a folder, my-repository, to exist inside this lab' main directory (or "folder"). You probably have a theory on how to correct that test after seeing that error! We're going to use these tests to let us know when we're all done.

Instructions

IMPORTANT TIPS TO AVOID GETTING STUCK

The work you will do to set up the Git repository will be done in the my-repository directory (after you create it ;)). If you're doing git commands in the same directory as THIS README that you're reading right now, you're not going to get to working tests.

When you run the tests, you will need to be in the top-level directory of this lab, (git-basics-lab, the directory with the README you're reading right now in it.)

To get all tests passing in this lab, follow the steps below, applying commands you've learned in the previous lessons.

Steps

As we saw above, there are six broken tests. Let's get them working.

Create a new directory locally named my-repository. This directory should be side by side with the test directory of this lab. Use the Unix command to create this directory. From the top-level of this lab, the parent directory of my-repository, run learn and verify there are only 5 broken tests left.
Navigate into the new directory my-repository using cd on the command line.
While inside my-repository, using the command line, initialize a new git repository. You'll know you've done it if you see 'Initialized empty Git repository in <...your local directory>/my-repository/.git/'>. Change back-up to the parent directory and you should be back in the top-level directory. Run learn and you should be down to four tests left. If that's true, change back into my-repository.
Create a file called README.md inside my-repository.
If you run git status at the command line, you should see that README.md is now listed as an untracked file. Add README.md so that it is tracked by Git.
Once the file is tracked, running git status again will show that README.md is staged and ready to be committed. Go ahead and create a commit on the command line (don't forget to add -m when committing to include a message!)

NOTE: If you forget to include -m on when committing, you'll find you've opened vi, the built in terminal text editor. To escape out of this editor, press the 'esc' key once, then type :q! to close the editor and return to the normal terminal.
Change back to the top-level directory, run learn, and you'll see that the test output is looking pretty successful:

  this lab
    ✓ has a folder named my-repository
    ✓ has a valid git repository initialized for the my-repository folder
    ✓ has a README.md file in the my-repository folder

  the local repository
    ✓ has README.md as a tracked file
    ✓ has at least one commit
    1) has been pushed up to the remote repository


  5 passing (18ms)
  1 failing

  1) the local repository
       has been pushed up to the remote repository:
     AssertionError: no record of pushing to a remote was found. Follow the instructions on GitHub to connect and push to a new remote repository: value: expected './my-repository/.git/logs/refs/remotes' to exist

Almost done! Change back into the my-repository directory.

Create a remote repository on GitHub using your personal GitHub account. When we create a blank repository, we are given instructions for adding that repository as a remote. Copy the first line (git remote add origin...) and paste-and-run it from your command line to connect your local repository with the new remote one.
Still within the my-repository directory, push up your local work to the remote.
Change back up to the top-level directory and run learn once more, your tests should all be passing

If all tests are passing, when you run learn, Learn.co will be notified and register that you've passed the tests. Once you've passed all tests, run learn submit to register completion of this lab on Learn.co.

Conclusion

As you become more comfortable with the terminal and Git, you'll find yourself using the workflow of initializing, adding, committing and pushing your work on a regular basis. These commands are at the core of Git version control. By knowing them, you now have the ability to create your own repositories and contribute to repositories that already exist.

In this lab you used tests to guide you in the basics of setting up a new local Git repository and binding it to a remote repository on GitHub. By pushing your work to a remote repository you've backed it up and made it available for the world to see via GitHub. Professional developers use this process to share code with each other, to document their code, and to earn interview slots by showing off what they're capable of. You did this guided by tests. It's common for developers to write tasks as tests that all fail and then slowly work to get them all passing. It's like a to-do list that verifies you've actually done the work!

View Git Remotes + GitHub Code-Along on Learn.co and start learning to code for free.