Utilize GitHub's Features!

Do you have a GitHub repo where you pretty much only use the Code tab? In this blog post, I'll demonstrate basic usage of three more tabs in your repo: Issues, Pull requests, and Projects.

Projects

Start off by creating a project. Note that projects are separate from repos, but in this guide, I will create a project with the same name as my repo: Segmentation.

1. Click the Projects tab.

2. In the left-hand side menu, select the second option: Projects.

3. Click New project.

In the new project settings, make sure to select the Automated kanban template.

Now you have a kanban-style project linked to your repo!

There are three columns: To do, In progress, and Done.

New cards can be created, and they can manually be dragged from column to column, but we will automate the process instead!

Issues

Features, bugs, documentation or whatever work needs to be done is a suitable issue. Go to the Issues tab and create an issue.

1. Give a title and add a description.

2. In the right-hand side menu, give assignees, labels and don't forget to link it to your project.

The issue will automatically appear in the To do column of your kanban board. Note that the issue is assigned a number: see the card where it says #1 opened by simehaa. Remember this number.

Pull Requests

It's time to get coding. In your programming environment, create a feature branch:

git checkout -b implement-PoC

Then implement your code. When you feel like you're done, push the code to the branch, and go to your repo on GitHub.

A yellow popup-menu appears every time we push, and since I feel like the code is ready, I will click Compare & pull request.

You'll be navigated to a new page where you can create the pull request.

Make the title: fix #1. Where #1 corresponds to the issue number. You can use any of these verbs:

• fix

• fixes

• fixed

• resolve

• resolves

• resolved

• close

• closes

• closed

On the right-hand side menu, give assignees, labels, and add the project.

Since we used the title "fix #1" for the pull request, the kanban-board automatically creates a new card for this pull request in the In progress column.

The next step is to review the pull request. This is preferably done by someone else on your team. It is viewable from the Pull requests tab in your repo.

Finally, click Merge pull request, and you will also be prompted to confirm the merge and if you want to delete the branch.

Lastly, go check out your kanban board: the issue and the pull request are now in the Done column.

What's Next?

The development workflow after adopting the steps in this guide is smooth and efficient. How do you show this to your team? After the project is set up, it's as simple as following these two steps:

1. Add a bunch of issues to your project.

2. Tell your teammates to use the title fix #1 (fix/resolve/close #issue number) whenever they open a pull request.