Module 2: The Core Workflow

In this module, we will learn the essential commands to manage your project locally and how to sync it with GitHub. We will focus on the "Professional Workflow" of taking a local project and publishing it to the world.

1. The Local Lifecycle

Before we go to the cloud, let's master the local cycle. Remember the Three Stages: Working Directory (The Floor), Staging Area (The Loading Dock), and Commit (The Shipment).

# A. Check your current status (Do this often!)
git status

# B. Add specific changes to the 'Loading Dock'
git add filename.js
# OR add everything
git add .

# C. Save the changes permanently with a professional message
git commit -m "feat: implement user authentication"

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2. How to Upload a New Project to GitHub

This is the most common task for a developer. There are two main scenarios:

Scenario A: You have a project on your computer and want it on GitHub

1. Create a Repo on GitHub: Go to GitHub.com > New Repository. Give it a name, but do not check "Add a README" or ".gitignore" yet.
2. Connect and Push:

# 1. Initialize Git in your folder (if you haven't)
git init

# 2. Add and commit your files
git add .
git commit -m "feat: initial commit"

# 3. Rename your default branch to 'main'
git branch -M main

# 4. Link your local project to GitHub (The 'Remote')
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repo-name.git

# 5. Upload your code ('Push')
git push -u origin main

TIP

The -u flag stands for "upstream". It links your local main to GitHub's main so that next time you only need to type git push.

Scenario B: Starting from an existing project on GitHub (git clone)

If the project already exists or you created it with a README:

# 1. Copy the URL from GitHub
# 2. Download the project to your computer
git clone https://github.com/username/repo-name.git

# 3. Enter the folder and start working!
cd repo-name

Why use Clone? Because it automatically sets up the connection to GitHub for you.

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3. Dealing with Sync Issues

Sometimes the GitHub repository contains files (like a README) that are not on your machine, which blocks your Push.

The Solution:

# 1. Pull changes from GitHub first
git pull origin main --allow-unrelated-histories

# 2. Fix any conflicts (if any), then push again
git push origin main

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4. Verifying the Connection

How do you make sure Git is linked to the right place?

# Show all remote links
git remote -v

You should see two links (fetch and push) pointing to your GitHub repository.

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What's Next?

Now that your project is safely on GitHub, let's learn how to work with others (or on multiple features) using Branches!