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GitHub is Microsoft’s code-hosting platform that lets users collaborate on open-source projects.GitHub has a free version, and several tiers of paid subscription versions.GitHub is extremely popular among software developers, and is used by most Fortune 100 companies.
If you’re interested in software or software development, you’ve likely heard of GitHub.
For a coder, GitHub is akin to what Pinterest offers to an interior designer — a place where a person goes not just to upload content, but also for creative inspiration and collaboration.
The company bills itself as the world’s leading software development platform, and says over 100 million developers use GitHub, as well as 90% of Fortune 100 companies.
GitHub is owned by Microsoft. The company was founded in 2007, but Microsoft acquired it in 2018 for $7.5 billion in stock, and Microsoft’s CEO said at the time that the deal would “strengthen our commitment to developer freedom, openness and innovation.”
GitHub has also recently integrated Copilot, Microsoft’s AI tool. CEO Satya Nadella said in a July 2024 Microsoft earnings call that Copilot is “by far the most widely adopted AI-powered developer tool,” and is responsible for 40% of GitHub’s revenue growth.
GitHub’s annual revenue run rate is now $2 billion, thanks to Copilot and GitHub’s premium subscriptions.
Here’s what you need to know about GitHub and how it relates to coding.
What is GitHub?
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said the Copilot AI tool is responsible for 40% of GitHub’s growth.
Associated Press/Dita Alangkara
GitHub is, fundamentally, a hosting platform for coders. The cloud-based service allows coders to effectively manage and maintain open-source programming projects while collaborating with others.
To understand how GitHub works, you have to have an understanding of “Git” and the idea of “version control” in relation to Git.
Git, started by Linux creator Linus Torvalds, is an open-source version control system that tracks changes in files over time.
Version control is an important system when it comes to coding. It enables coders to be nimble with programming, and allows for apps to constantly have new version releases, expansion to other platforms, and bug fixes, among other tracked changes.
Version control systems like Git help maintain the integrity and security of ever-evolving code by safeguarding modifications, and those revisions are then hosted by GitHub, or an alternative “repository” hosting service — although GitHub is the most popular among developers.
This allows developers to easily collaborate, allowing them to download a new version of the software, make changes, and upload the newest revision. Every developer can see these new changes, download them, and contribute.
Advantages of GitHub
Among the sites that feature Git repositories— which is the term used for where Git is stored, often shortened to “repo” — GitHub is the most popular, and thus, has the most to offer collaboratively. Put simply, it’s the standard for coders.
There are several features that have made GitHub so popular with developers.
Forking: GitHub makes it easy to forge your own coding project based on an existing one hosted on GitHub. With “forking,” you can easily take the blueprint of a project and fork it off in a different, more applicable direction for your own use, without affecting the original repository.Pull requests: GitHub also offers support to coders in the form of “pull requests.” Say you’ve forked a repo and want recognition for your efforts. You can communicate that to the original authors of the repo via GitHub’s pull request feature. Those creators will have a chance to inspect your work and decide if they want to include your fork in the scope of the original project.Social networking: The collaborative aspects of GitHub make it more than a hosting service, but also a social networking site, complete with user profiles and a history of user contributions in the form of pull requests. Projects are also discussed publicly as they’re revised, making it easy to quickly crowdsource any needed coding expertise.Branching: When collaborating, GitHub allows “branching,” where a repository can be duplicated and changed by another collaborator without affecting the original code. Once tested, the new code can then be merged and incorporated into the original.Changelogs: GitHub also keeps changelogs that tracks a project’s changes and who made them — crucial for good collaboration among multiple programmers.
There are disadvantages to Github, too. GitHub users have been vocal in the past about complaints with the platform; some say GitHub is expensive, buggy, and insufficient for large teams.
Is GitHub free to use?
GitHub has a free version with limited bandwidth and storage, and two paid versions. The Team subscription is geared towards individuals and organizations seeking “advanced collaboration” options, and costs $4 per user per month.
The Enterprise subscription costs $21 per user per month, and has the same advantages as Team, plus a host of other advanced features, greater security, and premium support services.
How to start using Github
If you’re looking for a resource to maintain and share code, you can easily install Git and sign up for GitHub for free. Here’s how to get started:
1. First, you’ll need to install the Git version control system, which you can download for free. Follow the directions specific to the device you’re using.
2. Next, you can create your GitHub account at GitHub.com. A free account will have some limitations, but gives you access to both public and private repositories.
Once you’ve downloaded Git, enter your email address and create a username and password for your GitHub account.
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3. With your free account, you can get started right away and create a repository by clicking Create a repository on the GitHub homepage to start a new project.
You can create a repository, explore existing repositories, or watch an introduction to GitHub video through this page.
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From the same page, you can also access learning materials like a “What is GitHub?” video or an exercise in GitHub flow if you need more expertise before getting started with creating a repository.
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