Key points

• To save your code, commit it with a clear message. You should do this frequently, especially when you want to make changes to your code that might break what you’ve already done.
• Occasionally, push your code so it is uploaded to Swarthmore’s Github (this is required for lab submission, but is also helpful if you work on more than one computer).
• Assuming your code has been committed and pushed, you can pull your code from Github if you want to access your lab on a different computer.

Terminology

• Cloning a repository puts a copy of your code on the computer you clone it to.

• Adding a file prepares the file for a commit. Files in Github desktop with changes are automatically added (checkbox).

• Committing code means updating your local version of the repository to the latest version.

• Pushing code updates your remote version of the repository i.e. the repository on github.swarthmore.edu.

• Pulling code updates your local version of the repository from your remote version of the repository.

  

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Further Reading

• Swarthmore Computer Science git page
• Github desktop documentation