How to Commit Changes with GitHub Desktop

Edited 2 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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GitHub Desktop is a great application that makes the job of interacting with Git repositories on GitHub a breeze. It provides an intuitive way to complete common Git operations without requiring command line knowledge. One of the fundamental operations in Git is performing a "commit," which is a way to record changes to your project. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore all aspects of committing changes using GitHub Desktop from start to finish. The guide includes simple language and examples to ensure that even beginners can understand and use GitHub Desktop effectively.

Understanding the concept of commitment

Before diving into GitHub Desktop, it's important to understand what a commit is. In the realm of version control, a commit serves as a snapshot of your project's repository at a specific point in time. Think of it as a historical record of what your project looked like at a particular moment. When you make changes to your files (such as editing code, adding a new feature, or fixing a bug), you "commit" those changes to your repository. This creates a new entry in the repository's history, which you can refer back to whenever necessary.

Each commit usually contains a unique identifier known as a SHA, a message describing what has been changed, and metadata about the author and date of the commit. These elements provide essential context and allow you to easily track the evolution of your project.

Getting started with GitHub Desktop

To make changes using GitHub Desktop, you first need to download and install GitHub Desktop. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and can be downloaded from the official GitHub Desktop website. After installation, follow the instructions to set it up by connecting it to your GitHub account.

Once GitHub Desktop is installed and configured, you can clone an existing repository or create a new one. Cloning a repository will copy all of its contents to a directory of your choice on your local machine, where you can continue making changes and committing them.

Setting up your repository

Once you have created or cloned the repository, it is time to make changes and commit them. Let's look at these steps:

1. Open GitHub Desktop: Start the GitHub Desktop application and log in with your GitHub credentials if you haven't done so already.
2. Choose your repository: Select the repository you want to work with from the list on the GitHub desktop app. If it's not listed, you can add a new repository by using the 'File' menu and selecting 'Add local repository' or 'Clone repository.'

Committing changes to your local repository

To commit, you need to make changes to your repository that need to be saved. This usually involves editing, deleting, adding, or moving files and directories in your local copy of the repository. Open the project files using your favorite code editor or IDE and make the changes you need. Examples may include:

• Adding a new feature by creating new files.
• Fixing bugs by updating existing files.
• Removing unnecessary files or outdated features.

As soon as you make these changes, your local repository will be isolated from the remote repository on GitHub.

Viewing and staging changes

After making the change, go back to GitHub Desktop and review what you've done. GitHub Desktop allows you to view a list of modified files in the 'Changes' tab. Here's how to handle this step:

1. Review changes: The 'Changes' view shows all file modifications, additions, and deletions. You can click on each file to see a line-by-line comparison of what's changed.
2. Stage changes: Before you commit, you must stage the changes. Staging is simply a way to mark the files you want to include in your next commit. In GitHub Desktop, a checkbox next to each file allows you to easily stage changes. Check the files you want to include in the commit.

Writing a commit message

Every commit you make should include a commit message that describes the specific changes you made. A clear and informative commit message is important for any team project. It should contain a concise summary of the changes and possibly include why you made the changes, especially if it is not clear for what purpose they were made.

To write a commit message in GitHub Desktop:

1. Enter a summary: Type a short title or summary for the commit in the 'Summary' field.
2. Provide a detailed description (optional): If necessary, add a more detailed explanation in the 'Description' field.

An example of a good commit message might be:

Improved user authentication flow

This is followed by a description as follows:

Enhanced the security by integrating new hashing algorithms and fixed issue #23 related to token generation.

Committing to Change

Now comes the important step - actually making the commitment:

1. Commit: Once you've staged your changes and written your commit message, click the 'Commit to [branch name]' button in GitHub Desktop. This action records your changes as a commit in your local repository.

This commit is now part of the history of your local repository, but it is still not on the GitHub server.

Pushing changes to GitHub

To share your commit with others, you need to push it to a remote repository on GitHub. Pushing sends all your local commits to the remote repository:

1. Push: In GitHub Desktop, simply click the 'Push Origin' button at the top. This will upload your commit to GitHub, updating the remote version of your project.

Your changes are now part of the open-source community or your team's shared repository, available for others to pull, view, and collaborate on. Pushing is essential for collaborative projects because it keeps everyone's work in sync.

Amend the last commit (optional)

Sometimes, you may commit prematurely or notice an error in the message later. Instead of creating additional commits, you can amend the last commit:

1. Amend a commit: Open the dropdown beside the Commit button in GitHub Desktop, check 'Amend last commit', and make the necessary changes to the files or commit message.
2. Commit the changes: Click 'Commit to [branch name]', which replaces the last commit with the new one.

Collaborating on GitHub

When working on a shared project, it's important to see what others have committed and communicate about these changes. This is where your commit messages become invaluable. In GitHub, you can see all past commits by going to the 'History' tab in GitHub Desktop. For deeper collaboration features, visit GitHub Repositories Online where you can manage pull requests, issues, and more.

Also, in team projects it's important to regularly pull changes from the remote repository to ensure your local repository has the latest updates made by others.

Best practices for commitment

• Make changes frequently: Making changes regularly makes it easier to track progress and correct mistakes.
• Use descriptive messages: A clear commit message helps others understand the core of your work, without having to analyze the actual difference in detail.
• Adopt a consistent messaging style: Develop a consistent style for commit messages to maintain consistency across the repository.
• Keep commitments focused: Each commitment should address an issue or goal that contributes to project organization and collaboration.

Conclusion

Making changes using GitHub Desktop is a simple task once you understand the basic concepts and tools provided by the application. This guide has outlined all the necessary steps, from setting up your repository to committing changes to GitHub, and includes best practices to make your workflow smooth and efficient. Whether you're working as part of a team, or on an open-source project, committing changes ensures that your project stays organized and fully documented throughout its development lifecycle. Harness the power of GitHub Desktop to advance your development process today.

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