A GitHub repository is a folder with all the files needed for your project, including the files that track all the versions of your project so that you can revert back if you make a mistake. A repository on GitHub also tracks who can collaborate and how.
To get a better understanding of what a repository is and how it is structured, you need to create your first GitHub repo:
- Go to the home page of GitHub.com by clicking the Octocat.
A list of your repositories appears on the bottom left side of the screen.
- Click the green New Repository button.
The Create a New Repository dialog page, shown in Figure 3-1, opens.
- Type the name of your repository in the Repository name text box.
I named my repository HelloWorld.
- Type a short description in the Description text box.
- Select the Public radio button.
- Click the Initialize this repository with a README check box.
You do not need to add a .gitignore.
- Choose a license from the Add a license drop-down list.
If you’re interested in finding out more information about licenses, see the nearby “Software licenses” sidebar.
- Click Create Repository.
The home page of your repository appears. It should look similar to the one I created, which is shown in Figure 3-2. Notice that a markdown file — README.md — is already in the repository. Markdown is a lightweight markup language used to style the words that you write with a plain text syntax. You can make words bold, turn them into headers, and even create a table for data.
In Chapters 4 and 5, you can create a website for yourself. This website can link back to your repository.
Source: Guthals Sarah, Haack Phil (2019), GitHub for Dummies, Wiley.