Do you want to learn how to use Git and connect GitHub with your WordPress site?
Git and GitHub are important for developers to track code changes, manage projects, and collaborate on the same code. They also help restore stable code versions if something goes wrong.
This guide will explain how to use Git with WordPress.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What is Git?
- Git vs GitHub – What’s the Difference?
- How to Use Git and GitHub for WordPress Development
- Setting Up a Local WordPress Environment for Git
- Installing Git Locally and Creating a Repository
- Creating a GitHub Repository and Commit Changes
- Deploy GitHub Themes and Plugins to a Live WordPress Site
- Install WordPress Plugins and Themes from GitHub
- Important Git and GitHub Terms You Should Know
What is Git? Git is a version control system that helps track changes in files or code projects. These projects are stored in a repository (repo), which is like a parent folder for all files.
Developers use Git to work on software development tasks. They clone the main repository to their computers, make changes, and upload the changes to a service like GitHub for team collaboration.
Git vs GitHub – What’s the Difference? Git is the version control system that tracks changes in your code. GitHub is a web platform for storing Git repositories for easy team access. You can use Git alone on your local machine, but you need Git for using GitHub.
GitHub offers additional features and is popular for teams working on the same project. It’s user-friendly, has powerful collaboration tools, and stores everything on the cloud to prevent data loss.
How to Use Git and GitHub for WordPress Development You can use Git and GitHub for developing WordPress themes and plugins. For instance, if you’re creating a new theme, GitHub helps manage the codebase. You fetch the theme repository from GitHub, make changes, test it locally, and push the updated repo to GitHub. Similarly, GitHub manages plugin codebases and is great for open-source projects where anyone can contribute.
You can also use GitHub to download and install WordPress plugins and themes on your live website.
Setting Up a Local WordPress Environment for Git Before using Git and GitHub, set up a local WordPress environment. This is where you work on your project without affecting the live website. If something goes wrong, you can debug the code locally.
Use local web software like Local WP, MAMP, XAMPP, or WampServer to create local environments. They’re free and easy to set up.
Installing Git Locally and Creating a Repository Check if Git is already installed on your machine. On Mac or Linux, enter git --version in Terminal. On Windows, use Command Prompt. If Git isn’t installed, download it from the Git website.
After installation, create a local Git repository. Navigate to your local website files, locate the ‘wp-content’ folder, go to the plugin or theme folder, and open Git Bash. Type git init to initialize the repository, then git add . to stage changes, and git commit -m "message" to add a commit message.
Creating a GitHub Repository and Commit Changes Sign up for a GitHub account, create a new repository, and copy its URL. In Git Bash, enter git remote add origin URL and git push -u origin main to push your local repository to GitHub.
Now, other users can edit files and make changes. To fetch updates, open Git Bash in the plugin folder and type git fetch URL.
Deploy GitHub Themes and Plugins to a Live WordPress Site After developing a theme or plugin, deploy it on your live website. You can use the WP Pusher plugin for an easier process. Download and activate WP Pusher, connect it with your GitHub account, and install themes or plugins from your GitHub repository to your live site.
Install WordPress Plugins and Themes from GitHub You can also find plugins and themes on GitHub that aren’t in the WordPress.org library. Search for the plugin or theme on GitHub, download the ZIP file, and install it on your website.
Important Git and GitHub Terms You Should Know:
- Branches: Parallel repositories to make changes without affecting the main branch.
- Merge: Applying changes from one branch to another.
- Pull: Fetching and merging changes.
- Pull Requests (PR): Proposed changes to a repository for review.
- Fork: A personal copy of another user’s repository.
- Commit: An individual change to a file in the repository.
- Push: Sending changes to a remote repository on GitHub.
