Creating a New Repository

“Repository” is another word for folder. You may also hear “repo” for short.

Creating a repository on GitHub

When you are signed into your GitHub account, there should be a left-hand dashboard that lists your repositories. At the top, there is a green “New” button, which you should press to create a new repository.

GitHub will then have you enter a name for your repository and its description, and you can select whether you want this repo to be public or private.

Additionally, you can optionally add a “README” file. This is a file where you can add a longer, more detailed description of your repository that you either want your future self or others to read. This can describe the file structure, provide insights into your code and data, or other details that you may want to remember.

Also, you can add a .gitignore file. This tells git which files to ignore when you commit and push your documents. For instance, if you are writing R code in RStudio, the .Rproj.user/ folder holds local state that is specific to your machine, so you would include it in your .gitignore list. (The .Rproj file itself is normally committed, so that collaborators get the same project settings.) For more information see git’s documentation.

You may wish to add a license to let others know how they can use your code, if you choose to make it publicly available.

Then, press the green “Create repository” button at the bottom.