GitLab
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
- Create or access your account on the lab GitLab instance
- Join or be added to a project repository
- Install Git on your computer
- Clone a repository to your local machine
- 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