Guide: Download Files From Github: Tips and Tutorials
If you’re looking to download files from Github, the best way to do it is to first sign up for a free account and then use the “download files” link in the top left corner of the main page. This will take you to a page that will list all of the repositories that are available on Github. You can click on any of these repositories and then select “download files” from the dropdown menu. The process will start automatically and will take about 10 minutes. Once it finishes, you will be able to see a list of all of the files that were downloaded.
If you’re not quite sure how to download project files (or entire projects) from Github, we’ll show you how. Let’s start. ..
Download a file
Public repositories are codebases that are open source and can be downloaded for free. Unless the codebase owner ticks a box otherwise, their codebase can be downloaded to your computer packaged in a .zip file.
If you go to a public codebase – like this one Tip Calculator I built – you will see that in the top right corner is a green button that says Clone or download. Click the button, then select from the drop-down list Download ZIP. All files are downloaded to your computer, usually in your Downloads folder.
To install the software, open the folder where you extracted it and double-click on the “setup.exe” file. This will launch the installation wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. ..
Finally, navigate to the folder that we downloaded from GitHub and you’ll find all of the files we downloaded there.
That Wes Bos’s JavaScript 30 repository on Github has a much larger codebase is evident by the number of files it contains. ..
There is a better way to “download” files
While the way we have outlined is simple and straightforward, it is most optimal for viewing the code files, not for experimentation. If you plan to download Github files to experiment with, the best way is to ‘split’ the project. A fork is simply your own copy of a repository.
Forking a repository has a number of advantages. For example, you can find a bug in my Tip Calculator or you want to add your own calculator features. So you can be my Tip Calculator, make a copy on your Github account. Here you can fiddle with and experiment with the code without affecting the original project as this would be your copy or ‘fork’.
If you’re not already a GitHub user, sign up now. Once you have an account, you can fork a public repository by going to www.github.com and clicking on the Fork button. Forking a public repository is easy - just go to www.github.com and click on the Fork button.
After creating your account, you can split a public repository to your account. For example, you can go to the public repository for Wes Bos’s 30 days of JavaScript training and in the top right corner you will see a button that says Fork. Click on the button.
Github will clone or “fork” that project into your own GitHub account. When it’s done, the project will immediately be listed under your Github username. To verify this, you can click on your profile icon in the top right navigation bar and then select the option that says Your warehouses. In your list of repositories you should see the JavaScript 30 codebase.
You can now experiment with the code, and it will not affect the original owner’s project files. If you change some code, fix a bug, or add a new feature, you can create something called a “Pull Request” where that change can be discussed. If the original project owner likes the change – and it works properly – it can be merged into the original codebase as production code.
Closing
Github is a great way to share and collaborate on projects. You can easily download entire projects or even fork them and make changes. It’s easy to see what affects the code in your fork, and you might even be able to make your first pull request at the end! Have fun coding! ..
Download Files From Github: Tips and Tutorials: benefits
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Final note
If you’re looking for tips and tutorials on how to download files from Github, then this guide is for you! In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best ways to do just that. If you have any questions or queries about this guide, feel free to ask us in the comments below or on social media. Finally, please share this article with your friends and family so they can get a little more information on Github before making any future purchases!
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