What is GitHub?

As an internet user, you encounter tech terms daily, some of which remain a mystery. GitHub might be one of those terms—familiar yet unclear. Let’s demystify it with a simple explanation.

GitHub is an online platform that assists developers in software development and version control. Based in San Francisco, USA, and part of Microsoft since December 2018, GitHub helps developers store, manage, and track changes in code. To understand GitHub, it’s helpful to know two foundational concepts: version control and Git.

This article will first clarify these principles, then explore GitHub as a platform that simplifies the use of Git.

Version Control

Version control is a system that tracks changes to source code over time. This allows developers to revert to a previous version or compare different versions. As software projects grow, version control becomes essential.

What is Git?

Git is a specific version control system, open-source, and developed by Linus Torvalds in 2005. It’s a distributed system, meaning each developer has the entire codebase on their computer, making branching and merging easy. According to a 2018 Stack Overflow survey, over 87% of developers rely on Git.

This work "Ghithub logo on a screen" by Newtech Academy is licensed under All rights reserved

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a web-based hosting service for Git-managed software projects. According to Statista, GitHub grew from 3 million users in 2013 to 100 million by 2023. Known for its intuitive interface, GitHub is user-friendly, even for beginners, and is flexible enough to manage various types of projects beyond software development, like design, writing, and even music.

GitHub's Interface

GitHub’s platform is easy to navigate and provides tools to manage projects efficiently. It’s structured into two main sections:

1. Navigation Bar: Found at the top, giving quick access to GitHub’s features.
2. Page Content: Displays project details and varies depending on the page.

The navigation bar includes the GitHub logo, a search bar to find projects or users, and a menu with essential platform tools. Page content covers a project’s source code, version history, issues, and pull requests, as well as user profiles with contributions and community interaction pages.

Benefits and Features

GitHub is particularly valuable for teams because it simplifies collaboration and offers distributed version control. With GitHub, teams can work in a centralized Git repository, track changes as they progress, and stay organized.

GitHub also provides an Enterprise version with enhanced security and third-party integration, supporting environments with continuous integration.

GitHub's History

GitHub was created with Ruby on Rails and Erlang to facilitate efficient source code management and team collaboration. Over time, it attracted significant investment, including $100 million from Andreessen Horowitz in 2012.

Microsoft acquired GitHub in October 2018 for $7.5 billion, which raised some concerns among developers. However, Microsoft has kept GitHub independent, with Thomas Dohmke leading the platform since 2021.

GitHub in the Future

GitHub is more than a hosting site for source code; it’s a global ecosystem that encourages collaboration among millions of developers. Using Git, GitHub enables efficient version management and code distribution, creating a secure and flexible development framework. With features like GitHub Pages and GitHub Codespaces, the platform goes beyond standard development tools, promoting open-source projects and innovation.