Starting Your Lab

When your instructor gives you a GitHub Classroom Assignment, you need to clone your assignment repository onto your computer to begin the assignment. This is a one-time act that you would do for each new assignment. Here are the steps.

1. Launch Visual Studio Code. Then open the command pallet (ctrl + shift + p or F1) and type git clone.

   

2. Either paste in the URL of your repository (e.g.: https://github.com/CPSC-1520/lab-1-StewDent) or choose the “Clone from GitHub” option to select your repository.

   

3. Choose a location on your computer to store the repository.

   Where to put your assignment?

   Generally speaking, you want to put your assignment in some folder where you keep all the assignments for your course.

   I recommend storing all your repositories near the root of your computer. If you’re on Windows, then create a folder at C:\GH and add a subfolder for your course (e.g.: C:\GH\CPSC-1520). You can put all your CPSC-1520 classroom assignments in that location.

   Avoid One-Drive Folder Locations

   If you’re a Windows user, it’s important to avoid certain places on your computer, such as your Documents folder or your Desktop. The reason for this is that those locations typically are controlled by OneDrive, and that application will probably interfere with your repository’s version control.

   You should also avoid putting it on a removable drive. If you’re used to thinking, “But I want to use a USB drive in case my computer crashes,” then you’re missing the whole point of GitHub Classroom Assignments. You should follow a routine of pushing your work to GitHub as you progress through your assignment.

4. Visual Studio Code will prompt you if you want to open the newly cloned repository. Choose “Open”, and you can begin working on your assignment.

And that’s it! You now can work on your assignment. I recommend doing frequent commits and following a regular routine as part of your daily work.