Maintainers' Manual \ Newcomers' Guide

Welcome to the Guide!

Introduction

You are probably here because you want to help make Refuge Restrooms better.

There are a number of ways to do that.

• File an issue with the project
• Read the existing issues. (Maybe you can help fix one? Reading issues is also a good way to know what direction we are heading with the project. Likewise, filing issues allows all developers to discuss problems and confer about new directions for the project.)

You might also be here to read our technical documentation.

Documentation

See our Pages list on the right-hand side of this page, for all of our technical documentation.

• Ready to submit a change, but you want to be sure it works first? See Contributing.md to learn how.

Lastly, you might be here looking for our collection of tips and tricks.

Tips and Tricks

• Everyone on GitHub uses Git. But if you ever feel confused by Git, don't worry. You aren't the only one. Here are some links to some Git documentation:

[Editor's note: consider moving all of these to a "Git" page.]

Git Basics

1. To set up Git for the first time on a new computer, first download Git, and then configure it.
   • In a pinch, most if not all code edits can be made on GitHub without installing anything!
   • If you don't like the command-line, and working on github.com is too tricky, try a GUI Git Program.
2. Here is a "cheatsheet" of the most common commands: https://github.github.com/training-kit/

Further Learning about Git

3. The Official Git Documentation lives at git-scm.com (This is the definitive guide. Anything here is guaranteed to be accurate. Tends to be verbose and detailed, so if that's your style, git-scm.com may just about cover all your needs.)
   • "Pro Git" (readable online) is a book by Scott Chacon and Ben Straub. It makes up part of git-scm.com, and it is particularly helpful.
4. If there's something really unclear, and the official documentation is too dense, try Think Like (a) Git. (This is a straight-forward, teach-by-example, humanistic guide to the often perplexing world of git commands. I recommend this as a "good cop" to git-scm's "bad cop".)
5. GitHub is just a website, if you think about it. It exists separately from Git, the command-line software. Get more familiar with Github.com here: https://help.github.com/ (Any question you may have about GitHub, the website, is probably answered right here.) https://github.com/blog (What does GitHub have to say about GitHub? Find out on the blog.)

Deep-Dive Git Info

• How does Git store and track data? (What is a commit, really?) And how does git filter-branch work?
  • https://manishearth.github.io/blog/2017/03/05/understanding-git-filter-branch/#appendix-how-are-commits-actually-stored
  • https://manishearth.github.io/blog/2017/03/05/understanding-git-filter-branch/
• How does Git compress your data to keep it small/lightweight on your hard drive?
  • https://codewords.recurse.com/issues/three/unpacking-git-packfiles

Your Search Engine!

Last but not least: Your search engine. (We can't list every resource. If you're ever not sure what a technical phrase means, or what a certain git command does, the best answer may be on page 1 of your search results. Ever tried searching with DuckDuckGo?)