Last Updated: January 2024
Git is used for version control: keeping track of changes to files and sets of files. Git is most commonly used with code, but it can be very useful for tracking changes and versions when writing articles, chapters, books, and other documents as well. GitHub is one service that allows you to share git repositories with other people, either for collaborating on projects or just sharing the contents. GitHub also has useful features for project management, making and sharing simple websites and html pages, searching code, and even writing code and automating processes.
When and Why to Use Git
- What git is and how it works: Git for Humans, from Alice Bartlett
- Why you should use git: Academic Benefits of using Git, from Mike Croucher
How to Use Git
- An interactive tutorial through a downloadable app, starts from the beginning: Git-it
- Dataquest Git and Version Control: an account is required, but this interactive, online tutorial can be accessed for free
- Introduction with videos aimed at researchers: Get Git!
- Video course: Git Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning (free Northwestern access)
- Undoing changes in git: Undo possibilities in Git from GitLab (they have other tutorials as well) or Undoing Commits & Changes from Atlassian (they also have other tutorials)
- Ready for next steps? Try this interactive, intermediate to advanced level tutorial in your web browser: Learn Git Branching
Using Git with Specific Tools
- How to use git with R and RStudio:
- Happy Git and GitHub for the useR, from Jenny Bryan and Jim Hester
- Research Computing and Data Services guides: Setting Up Git and GitHub with R and RStudio, Git with RStudio: Order Matters
- GitHub and PyCharm: you can add your GitHub account or Personal Access Token
- Jupyter Notebooks with git and Review NB
- Git and Github introduction using VS Code: Git and Github for Beginners – Crash Course
Reference Resources
- Git Cheat Sheet from Atlassian: a list of common git commands
- Pro Git: the official tutorial in book form, available online; not the place for a beginner to start, but good for reference
- Dangit, Git?!?: a guide to help you when you’ve done something wrong
- Oh, sh**, git!: another guide to help you when something’s gone wrong