Version Control with Git

An introductory workshop to using version control with Git and GitHub, and how to incorporate these tools in your research workflow.

Lead trainer: Grace Hall

(Melbourne Bioinformatics, The University of Melbourne)

Workshop Description:

This hands-on introductory workshop is designed for scientists looking to incorporate Git and GitHub into their research workflows. Over the course of three hours, participants will learn the fundamentals of version control, including how to track changes, collaborate with others, and manage research projects using Git. The workshop will cover essential commands for initializing repositories, committing changes, and branching, as well as strategies for effectively using GitHub for remote collaboration, sharing code, and managing project contributions. By the end of the session, participants will have practical experience setting up and managing their own Git repositories, pushing changes to GitHub, and understanding best practices for version control in scientific research. No prior experience with Git or GitHub is required, making this workshop ideal for beginners eager to improve their project management and collaborative skills in a scientific context.

The training material will be available on our repo soon.

Tools Used:

Git and a text editor (nano, Vim, VS code or Notepad)

This workshop is delivered in the terminal /command-line and a web browser

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this training, you will:

• Understand what Git is, the difference between Git and GitHub, and the principles of version control
• Create a Git repository locally, learn the basic commands to track changes in a repository and upload code to GitHub
• Download and modify code from GitHub, and learn how to submit contributions to third-party repositories
• Learn the best practices for utilising version control in your research workflow

Target Audience:

Researchers that are using code to process or analyse their data, or that would like to use open-source software hosted on version control platforms. Familiarity with the command line is highly recomended but not required. Get started with command line with our introduction to UNIX tutorial.

Eligibility:

This free workshop is available to staff and students at The University of Melbourne and its affiliated institutes.

You must register for this event using an affiliated institutional email address or your registration may be cancelled.

Prerequisites and Requirements:

This workshop does not require any previous experience. This is an in person hands-on workshop and attendees must bring their own computers (laptop chargers also recommended). No software needs to be installed for this workshop and no programming experience is necessary. The following is required:

• Access to internet via UniWireless or Eduroam
• Web browser (Firefox or Chrome recommended)
• Participants should register for a Galaxy Australia account using their institutional email address

Access:

If you require any further information, or have any access requirements in order to participate in this workshop, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your requirements:

We recommend following our Eventbrite page if you wish to be alerted when we release new workshops for registrations. If you require any further information, please contact Melbourne Bioinformatics at: bioinformatics-training@unimelb.edu.au

Important Policy Update:

Starting 1 August 2025, participants who miss two or more workshops without proper notice (less than 48 hours or attending under 50%) within 12 months will be placed on a 6-month waitlist for full workshops. To avoid being marked as a no-show, cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance, with exceptions allowed for emergencies.Please read the full policy here: https://mbite.org/guides/policy/