Intro to Data Science

Lab 2 – Version Control

A Guide to Your Process

Scheduling

Learning Objectives

Practice

Supporting Information

Class Discussion

Today’s Plan

• Muddiest Point Review
• Version Control Background
• Navigating GitHub

Today’s Learning Objectives

After today’s session you will be able to:

• Explain the difference(s) between Git and GitHub
• Define fundamental version control vocabulary

Muddiest Point Review

• Recurring topics from most recent MPs

• What other topic(s) would you like to review?

Version Control Background

• “Version control” is a set of tools for tracking changes to a code file

• Version control lets you work only in a single file but still preserves the history
  • No comments you’d have to resolve (like MS Word / etc.)
  • No need to “Save As” and retain many different files for each draft

Version Control Rationale

Why use version control?

Collaboration

Easily share & work together on files

Reproducibility

Fully document your progress and end results

Portfolio

Demonstrate your skills to others with coding know-how

Git Versus GitHub

Git

GitHub

Git Versus GitHub

Git

• Actual version control software

• Does the tracking of changes

• Works locally on your computer

• Not something others can interact with

GitHub

Git Versus GitHub

Git

• Actual version control software

• Does the tracking of changes

• Works locally on your computer

• Not something others can interact with

GitHub

• Graphical user interface (GUI) for Git

• Allows viewing of Git-tracked changes
  • Not actually doing version control itself

• Other users can see your content
  • Depending on your settings

Create a Github Profile

• On your computer, go to github.com

• Create a profile

• Let me know if you run into any issues!

Navigating GitHub

• We’ll work through part of an established GitHub workshop for this section

• nceas.github.io/scicomp-workshop-collaborative-coding/github

Practice: Create a Repository

• To practice what we’ve just covered, make a practice repository!

• This is a test repository so:
  • Set it to “Private”
  • Create the repo with both a README and a .gitignore

• As you go through this process, take notes for ‘future you’
  • This course will require you to make two more repositories
  • So you’ll want to have a good resource to remind yourself with down the line

Temperature Check

How are you Feeling?

Upcoming Due Dates

Due before lecture

(By midnight)

• Homework #2
• Read the British Ecological Society’s Reproducible Code Guide (p.20-25)

Due before lab

(By midnight)

• Muddiest Point #3

Bonus Git Info

Git & RStudio

• If desired, you can get GitHub to talk directly with RStudio
  • Done through Git!

• Advantage is a clearer connection between your RStudio work and GitHub

Prep Steps

1. Install R & RStudio

2. Create a GitHub Account

3. Install Git
   • See instructions here

4. Connect RStudio and GitHub
   • See instructions here

Git and RStudio

• You can work through part of an established GitHub workshop for this section

• nceas.github.io/scicomp-workshop-collaborative-coding/rstudio