Github Mistakes and What I Wish I Knew Sooner

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their experience using GitHub, highlighting common mistakes and valuable lessons learned over time. They discuss the importance of collaboration, version control, and efficient workflows when managing repositories. Key points include working with branches, handling pull requests, testing code changes, and using GitHub desktop for easier navigation. The speaker emphasizes the benefits of open-source collaboration, even for solo developers, and provides insights on improving contributions, managing issues, and utilizing GitHub's powerful features to enhance project development.

Takeaways

• 😃 GitHub is a powerful platform for collaboration, and learning from other developers' work is key to improving skills.
• 🔄 Be aware that GitHub's raw file updates may lag by a few minutes, so you might not see the latest changes immediately.
• 🛠️ It's important to manage branches effectively, especially when working on large projects with multiple contributors.
• 🔀 Using separate test and main branches helps ensure that the main project stays stable while testing new changes.
• ⚡ GitHub Desktop is a great tool for beginners to visualize and manage branches, making switching between them easier.
• 📜 Review pull requests carefully, especially large ones, to avoid accidentally merging bad changes ('nuke the world' commits).
• ⚖️ Always run unit tests before merging pull requests to catch errors like missing brackets or syntax issues.
• 📋 Setting up detailed issue templates improves the quality of issues submitted by users, which helps with project management.
• ⏪ GitHub’s history system allows for easy rollbacks to previous commits, which is essential for fixing branch mistakes.
• 👥 Open-source collaboration can sometimes outperform large companies in development, thanks to GitHub’s community-driven nature.

Q & A

What are some common mistakes people make when using GitHub?

Common mistakes include not understanding how raw files are not updated in real time, making commits directly to the main branch instead of using a test branch, and not properly managing branches which can lead to errors in the main project.

Why does the author prefer using GitHub over other Git repositories like GitLab or Bitbucket?

The author prefers GitHub because it has a large user base, making it easier to collaborate and learn from others. GitHub's community and ease of peer review and contributions also appeal to the author.

What is the benefit of using a test branch in GitHub?

A test branch allows the author to test new changes without affecting the main project. This prevents errors from affecting users who rely on the stable main branch. It also helps catch bad commits before they reach the production environment.

What problem can occur with raw files in GitHub, and how should users handle it?

Raw files may lag behind commits by 3-5 minutes, leading users to pull older versions of the file. Users should wait a few minutes before using raw files after making a commit to ensure they get the latest version.

How does the author recommend handling large pull requests?

The author advises against accepting massive pull requests that change large portions of the code, as these can introduce errors and make the project unrecognizable. Instead, pull requests should be smaller and more manageable.

What should you do if a pull request changes too many lines of code?

If a pull request changes too many lines of code (e.g., 3,000 lines), it is recommended not to accept it because it can drastically alter the project. The author refers to such pull requests as 'nuke the world' commits.

What is the advantage of using unit tests in GitHub projects?

Unit tests help ensure that changes made to the project are functional and don’t break the code. GitHub automatically runs unit tests during pull requests, catching errors like missing brackets, which prevents bad code from being merged.

How can the GitHub desktop app help beginners understand branches better?

The GitHub desktop app provides a visual interface to manage branches, making it easier for beginners to switch between branches and view their current state, reducing the complexity of managing branches through the command line.

How does the author use issues in GitHub to improve project development?

The author uses issues submitted by users to identify bugs and areas for improvement. Even though many issues may be vague, they often contain valuable information that can help refine the project.

What is the purpose of a rebase, and why is it risky?

A rebase is used to merge changes from one branch into another, but it can be risky because it can introduce conflicts. The author mentions that it's especially dangerous on the main branch, so it should be done cautiously, ideally on a test branch.