Data-projects-with-R-and-GitHub

Git-ing started

In order to get RStudio working with git and GitHub, we need to do a couple of steps.

These have to be done only once and will be forgotten soon after. ;)

  1. Understand what git is: Section 1. - 1.7

  2. Create a GitHub account

    • you can use your university email address if you only want to create a temporary account
    • if you want to keep your account, you might want to use your private email address
    • maybe check these advices for github user names

  3. Post your GitHub user name within the respective course exercise submission

  4. Updating your R and RStudio version might be a good idea if you installed them years ago

  5. Install git (if not available): Section 6.2 - 6.4

  6. RESTART RStudio and check if it finds git: Section 13

  7. Configure git using RStudio and the usethis package:

    • install.packages("usethis") to get the package
    • library(usethis)
    • use use_git_config(..) to register your GitHub credentials: Section 7
    • use git_default_branch_configure() to reset main branch name: Section 7.1.2

  8. Generate a PAT to enable RStudio-GitHub communication via usethis package: Section 9

    • library(usethis)
    • use create_github_token(description="R2 course")
      • set an Expiration date after the end of the course (or “No expiration”)
      • keep the generated PAT website open for Copy-and-Paste !!! of the PAT token
    • use credentials::set_github_pat(force_new=TRUE) (already installed) to store the PAT: Section 9.4.1.1
      • TAKE CARE to click on “Token” within the pop-up window to enter your PAT token!!

  9. Check if you can access the project on GitHub (i.e. we registered you as a collaborator already)

    • if not you will have to wait until we have added you…
    • you will get an email notification from GitHub informing you of the invitation to join the project. Accept the invitation!

  10. Once you can access the repository online, you will need to get a local copy via RStudio: Section 16.2.2

    • the HTTPS URL is https://github.com/Dr-Eberle-Zentrum/Data-projects-with-R-and-GitHub.git

  11. Get ready to work with it

  12. Let’s try: Change something and Push your changes!

    • create a subfolder within the Project folder named as your GitHub account user name
    • create within your new folder a new file hello-world.md and say “Hi I am here” within the file
    • add the file to git control and push the file to GitHub
    • check online if you can see your file and all is good!
    • ATTENTION: if you are working on the repository at the same time as one of your peers your push might fail with a notification that you are missing changes that are on GitHub already. In that event, you first need to pull the changes and afterwards push should work fine.

Congratulations! You have just made your first steps in a version-controlled project workflow using git!

The last three steps (check out a local copy from Github + working on it) are the standard workflow when you start your own project, using GitHub as your version-control cloud service. When working collaboratively with others or when contributing to foreign projects, the workflow needs some extensions in terms of “branches” and “pull requests”. We will look into both later in the course and master them as well!