Week 3: Version control and project management

Learning goals

• Understand and apply basic Git commands and workflows for version control in software projects.
• Set up and manage repositories on GitHub, including creating branches, committing changes, and resolving conflicts.
• Collaborate effectively on projects using GitHub, including using pull requests and branching strategies.
• Gain proficiency in restoring previous versions of work and managing repository contents using .gitignore and other Git features.

Preparation before the lecture

• Improve your knowledge about Shell/Bash in this Datacamp tutorial (first chapter only, “manipulating files and directories”)

Lecture

Laptop required!

• Tutorial (view slides, view complete tutorial)

Coaching session

• Work on your team goals for this course week (see coaching #2 on your workplan).

After the lecture

• Complete all exercises in this week’s tutorial ( View tutorial)
• Reading: Principles of Project Setup and Workflow Management (30 minutes)

Tips & tricks

• Curious how to use Git with a graphical user interface?
  • Use Git directly from within R - find out how!
  • Another fantastic Git client is Sourcetreeapp, which works on Windows, Mac and Linux!
• Git & Github cheatsheet
• Optional activity: Contributing to an open source web site