Project Title: GitHub Collaboration Demo

Overview

This project is designed for hands-on practice in Git and GitHub collaboration. It demonstrates typical workflows used in team projects, including branching, making changes, creating pull requests (PRs), managing issues, and merging changes.

Features

• Git commands for local and remote collaboration
• Branching for new features or bug fixes
• Creating and linking issues with PRs
• Code review and merging PRs
• Best practices for naming conventions and commit messages

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A GitHub account
• Git installed on your local machine
• Basic understanding of Git and GitHub workflows

Setup Instructions

1. Fork the Repository Before cloning the repository, you must first fork it to your GitHub account. This creates a copy of the repository under your own GitHub profile:

   • Navigate to the GitHub Repository.
   • Click the Fork button at the top-right corner of the repository page.
   • Now, you will have a forked version of the repository under your GitHub account.

2. Clone the Forked Repository After forking the repository, clone your forked version to your local machine using the following command:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/git-demo.git

   Replace YOUR-USERNAME with your GitHub username. This will download your forked repository locally so you can work on it.

3. Make Changes Open any file (e.g., README.md) and make some edits. For example, you could add your name to the Contributors section or modify the content slightly to demonstrate collaboration.

4. Create a New Branch and Switch to It Create a new branch for your changes and switch to it:

   git checkout -b bugfix/typo

   Branch Naming Conventions:

   • Use descriptive branch names based on the task.
     • feature/ for new features
     • bugfix/ for fixing bugs
     • hotfix/ for urgent changes
   • Use hyphens - to separate words in branch names.
   • Example: feature/update-readme, bugfix/fix-typo, hotfix/security-patch

5. Add Files Stage your changes by adding the modified files:

   git add .

   This prepares the files for committing.

6. Commit Files Commit your changes with a meaningful commit message:

   git commit -m "Add contributor name to README"

   Commit Message Best Practices:

   • Use the imperative mood: "Add feature" instead of "Added feature".
   • Keep the message concise but descriptive.
   • If necessary, include additional details in the body of the commit message by adding a blank line after the title and writing a more detailed explanation.

   Example:

   Fix typo in project overview
   
   Corrected a small typo in the first paragraph of the README file. 
   This improves clarity for readers.
   

7. Push Files Push your branch to GitHub:

   git push --set-upstream origin branch-name

   This will push your local branch to your forked repository on GitHub.

8. Create an Issue Before creating a PR, create an issue that describes the changes or feature you are adding. This helps track contributions and tasks:

   • Go to the Issues tab in your forked repository on GitHub.
   • Click on New Issue, fill in the details, and submit it.

   Issue Best Practices:

   • Write a clear, concise title (e.g., "Add contributor section to README").
   • Provide context and details about the task in the description.

9. Create a Pull Request (PR) After pushing the changes, open a pull request from your forked repository to the original repository:

   • Navigate to the original repository on GitHub.
   • Click on the Compare & pull request button.
   • In the PR description, link the issue by using Closes #issue-number (e.g., Closes #1).

   PR Best Practices:

   • Use a clear, action-oriented title: "Update README to include contributor info".
   • Provide a detailed description of what changes were made.
   • Reference the issue number so the PR is linked to the issue.

10. Add Labels and Info to PR Add relevant labels to the PR to help with project management:

    • Labels such as enhancement, bug, documentation, etc., can be applied.
    • You can also request a reviewer if you're working on a collaborative project.

11. Merge the Pull Request (PR) After your changes are reviewed and approved, merge the pull request:

    • Go to the PR on GitHub and click on Merge Pull Request.
    • When merging, mention the related issue (e.g., Closes #1), so the issue is automatically closed after merging.

Contributing Guidelines

1. Branch Naming Conventions

   • Always create a new branch for each task:
     • feature/ for new features (e.g., feature/add-new-section)
     • bugfix/ for bug fixes (e.g., bugfix/fix-footer-bug)
     • hotfix/ for urgent fixes (e.g., hotfix/critical-security-fix)
   • Be descriptive and consistent in your branch names.

2. Commit Message Guidelines

   • Write concise and meaningful commit messages.
   • Use the imperative mood in commit titles.
   • Optionally, add additional details in the body of the commit for clarity.

3. Opening Issues

   • Always create an issue for new features or bugs.
   • Write clear issue titles and descriptions, and assign relevant labels.

4. Creating Pull Requests

   • Reference the issue you are addressing in the pull request description.
   • Add labels and request reviews when necessary.

5. Merging Pull Requests

   • Before merging, ensure all comments and feedback are addressed.
   • Mention the related issue in the merge commit to close the issue automatically.