GitLab

GitLab web-app displaying projects

Web link

User guide

Overview

GitLab is a web-based platform used to manage and collaborate on projects with Git, a version control system.

It enables team members to store code, track changes, and work simultaneously on the same project safely.

Getting Started

1. Create or access your account on the lab GitLab instance
2. Join or be added to a project repository
3. Install Git on your computer
4. Clone a repository to your local machine
5. Make changes, commit them, and push them back to GitLab

Key Concepts

• Repository (repo): A project space containing files and their complete history of changes.
• Commit: A saved change to the project, with a message describing the modification.
• Branch: A parallel version of the project used to develop features or test changes safely.
• Merge: The process of integrating changes from one branch into another.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Distribution (CI/CD): Automated testing, building, or deployment when changes are made.

Main Uses

• Store and share project code and data
• Collaborate on experiments and software development
• Track tasks and issues related to projects
• Automatically run tests and workflows (CI/CD)
• Maintain a complete history of all project changes

Why It Matters

• Prevents loss of work by keeping a full change history
• Enables multiple people to work on the same project safely
• Improves organization through issues and project tracking
• Automates repetitive tasks like testing and deployment

When You Will Use It

• Uploading your work to a shared project
• Downloading (cloning) existing repositories
• Contributing to team projects
• Tracking or updating tasks and issues
• Reviewing changes from other team members

Good Practices

• Write clear and descriptive commit messages, using conventional commits
• Use branches for new features or experiments
• Pull changes regularly to stay up to date
• Keep repositories organized and well documented