Commit and Merge on GitHub

In this section, we will cover the essential steps for committing and merging changes in a GitHub repository. These are fundamental practices for any developer working with version control systems.

Committing Changes

When you make changes to your code, you need to commit those changes to your repository. Here’s how you can do it:

Edit your code: Make the necessary changes in your code.
Stage your changes: Use git add to stage the changes you want to commit.
Commit your changes: Use git commit to create a new commit with a message describing the changes you made.

git add .
git commit -m "Your commit message"

Merging Changes

Merging is the process of combining changes from one branch into another. Here are the steps to merge changes:

Switch to the target branch: The branch you want to merge changes into.
```
git checkout <target-branch>
```
Merge the changes: Use git merge to merge the changes from the source branch.
```
git merge <source-branch>
```
Resolve conflicts: If there are any conflicts, resolve them manually.
```
git status
git add <conflicted-file>
```
Push the changes: Once the merge is complete and conflicts are resolved, push the changes to the remote repository.
```
git push
```

Tips for a Smooth Merge

Regularly commit your changes: This helps in keeping your repository clean and makes it easier to track changes.
Use descriptive commit messages: This helps others understand the purpose of each commit.
Keep branches focused: Each branch should have a single responsibility.

For more detailed information on using GitHub, check out our GitHub Guide.