GitHub Desktop Cheat Sheet

GitHub Desktop is an application that enables you to interact with GitHub using a visual interface instead of the command line. It extends and simplifies your Git workflow using a transparent and accessible graphical user interface.

Key Concepts

• Repository: A project folder that is tracked by Git, containing all files and their version history.
• Clone: The act of creating a complete local copy of a repository that exists on GitHub.com.
• Commit: A snapshot of the changes you have staged, saved permanently to your local repository’s history.
• Branch: An independent line of development within a repository.
• Pull Request (PR): A request to merge the changes from one branch into another, facilitating code review and discussion on GitHub.com.
• Remote: The common version of your repository hosted on GitHub.com (typically named origin)

Core Workflows

Getting a Repository

• Clone an existing repository
  • Use File > Clone Repository.
    
  • Select a repository from your GitHub.com list or enter its URL directly.
    
  • Choose a local path and click Clone.
    
• Create a new repository
  • Use File > New Repository.
  • Enter a name, optional description, and choose a local path.
  • You can choose to initialize the repository with a README file.
• Add an existing local repository
  • Use File > Add Local Repository.
  • Navigate to the folder on your computer that already contains a .git subdirectory.

Making and Saving Changes

1. Make Changes: Edit files in your configured external editor.

2. View Changes: All modified files are listed in the Changes tab in the left sidebar. Click a file to see a line-by-line diff.

3. Stage Changes: Select the checkbox next to individual files you wish to commit.

4. Create a Commit:

• • Write a mandatory summary and an optional extended description.

  • Click Commit to [branch-name] to save the snapshot to your current branch.

Branching

• Create a new branch: Click Current Branch in the toolbar, then click New Branch. Name the branch and select which existing branch to base it on.
• Switch branches: Click Current Branch in the toolbar and select any available local branch.
• Merge a branch:
  • Switch to the branch you want to merge into (e.g., main).
  • Click Current Branch, then Choose a branch to merge into main.
  • Select the branch containing the changes you want to integrate (e.g., feature-branch).

Synchronizing with GitHub

• Push: To upload your local commits to the remote repository on GitHub, click Push origin.
• Pull: To download and integrate changes from the remote repository into your current local branch, click Pull origin.
• Fetch: To check for new changes on the remote without merging them, use Repository > Fetch.

Working with Pull Requests

• Publish a branch: After committing to a new branch, click Publish branch to push it to GitHub. A button to create a pull request will appear.
• Create a Pull Request: Click Create Pull Request to open GitHub.com in your browser and finalize the pull request.
• View open pull requests: Check the Pull Requests list tab to see open requests and checkout their associated branches locally.

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Make focused, atomic commits with clear messages.
• Always create a new branch for any feature or bug fix.
• Regularly pull changes from the upstream main branch into your feature branches.
• Review the diff of your changes in the Changes tab before every commit.
• Use the History tab to examine past commits and revert changes if necessary.

References

• https://docs.github.com/en/desktop
• https://docs.github.com/en/desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/overview/getting-started-with-github-desktop