Lab 0: Git and VSCode Familiarization | CS 2113 Software Engineering - Fall 2021

Table of Contents

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Lab 0: Git and VSCode Familiarization #

The goal of this lab is to get you more comfortable with using git. This lab is worth 2% of your grade, but more importantly, you will not be able to complete latter assignments without finishing this one.

Part 0: Creating a github account and installing software #

You are required to have a github account for this class.

If you do not have a github account #

Well, you need to sign up!

  1. Go to https://github.com/ and enter your info to “Sign up for GitHub”.
  2. Select a username and password – your username is your github id
    • For your github id, choose something tasteful. Your name with a hyphen, like firstname-lastname could be a good choice, but choose something you like and represents you.
    • Note that for job interviews, you may want to advertise your github id, so don’t choose something like youallsuxor …
  3. Use an email address you have access to and check frequently. When there are issues/updates to your submissions, you’ll get an email. You may want to use your GW email address for this.

If you do have a github account #

Please go to your account and check that …

You are using an email address that you check often because you will get important notifications.

Install Git on your system #

You may already have git command installed on your system. But if not, you need to do so now. Here’s how you do it in various contexts:

Linux/Ubuntu #

If you are running a linux/ubuntu system, you can simply type

sudo apt install git

For other linux distros, refer to your package manager, but the command will be similar for yum or rpm.

At this point you should also install some other packages that you may want for the class

sudo apt-get install gcc make manpages default-jdk valgrind libreadline-dev

Mac #

On Mac, you will need to install the command line tools. To see if the command line tools are installed, Open a terminal a try to use git by simply type

git

If it is installed, you’ll see a usage info appear. If it is not installed, you will be prompted to install the command line tools. Do so. It will take about 5-10 minutes, but then you’ll have all sorts of good stuff installed, including git.

Windows #

On windows, you can install git from this link, but perhaps a better option for you is to install the Windows Subsystem Linux (WSL), which provies a full ubuntu/linux subsystem, as if it is a virtual machine.

This is a great guide from microsoft. Once you do so, open a WSL terminal and follow the linux guide above.

Other options #

If you do not want to go through these installation steps, there are a few other alternatives:

Extras for git #

Setup an ssh-key for your github account. This is a huge time saver and much more secure than using a password. Check out this guide

You can also generate an access token, which you could (should!) use in place of a password when using git’s https access. Check out this guide

Requirements #

Part 0 Requirements:

  • Fill out the following formto show you’ve completed the items above

Part 1: Installing VSCode and Docker #

In the first part of this class, we will make heavy use of VSCode and Docker to program in C.

You should begin by installing both

Following see if you can get a C simple hello world program to run within a docker container following this guide

If you are using a linux installation, you do not need to install docker.

Part 2: Accepting a github classroom assignment and submitting in VScode #

Now that you have a github account. The next part is to accept and assignment and join the class organization. Do so by clicking on the following link (or copy and pasting the url) below. Be sure your logged into the github account you created/updated previously.

Github Classroom Link: TBA

Since this is the first assignment for the class, it will ask you to join the organization. When you do so, please be sure to use your REAL NAME and GW netid for associating with this class so that we can properly grade your assignments.

Following that, github will automatically fork/clone the assignment into a new repository entitled lab0-<username> in the cs2113-s21 github organization where <username> is replaced by your github ID. Navigate to it now.

You might find this youtube tutorial helpful for navigating github classroom submisions.

Requirement Part 1

Part 3: Markdown and Updates on github #

Once you’ve accepted the assignment, navigate to the repository on github. On the repository webpage, you’ll find a README.md file. This extension .md indicates that it is formatted in markdown, which is a markup language, like HTML, that describes how to display text. That’s what I’m writing this in right now.

Click on README.md to open up that file.

Editing in Markdown on github #

For example, you can make text bold or italic by enclosing it *’s:

You can make code blocks by using three backticks `. The backtick is the key above the tab button on most keyboards.

backtick on the keyboard

For example, to include C code, you might type something like the left, to render something like the right. Note the c at the top to tell Markdown how to color highlight using C.

```c
int main(){
  printf("Hello, World!\n")
}
```

int main(){
  printf("Hello, World!\n")
}

You can find more about markdown from the github guide on markdown.

Part 3: Requirements

  1. Edit the README.md file for this lab on github by clicking “edit”
  2. Complete the instructions in there and commit your changes
  3. You should be able to see them page reformat on github
  4. Then edit the file survey.md (also in the repo) and answer the questions there.

Part 4: Using VSCode, Docker and Github to complete a coding assignment #

Now we integrate VSCode and git so that you can complete and submit a basic programming assignment in C.

Part 4: Requirements

  1. Start by accepting this assignment: https://classroom.github.com/a/lxpQY7UA
  2. Follow this guide to checkout the assignment and load it into a docker container
  3. View the README.md to complete the coding assignment

Part 5: Adding files and pushing back to github #

Still in VSCode from before, int this part of the assignment, you need to add two files and push all your changes back to github.

To create a file, you can navigate the menu File->New File or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘N or Ctrl-N. Once you create that new file, VSCode allows you to select the language. Modify the file as you see fit, and then save it using File->Save, ⌘S or Ctrl-S. You’ll be prompted to give it a name in the command pallet.

Once the file is saved, you’ll see that the repository symbol has updated

Click on that, and if you mouse over the file, you will see a + symbol. Clicking this will add the file to the next commit. Click it!

Next at the top of the panel you will see a ✓. Clicking it will perform the commit, and you’ll be prompted to provide a message that is somewhat meaningful, like “adding a new file”. Then hit enter. Do this now.

Finally, you need to push your changes to github. To do this click the ... at the top of the panel, selecting push. This will push your changes back to github.

Part 5: Requirements

  1. Create a new file called bio.txt that contains 2-to-3 sentences about yourself.
  2. Add it to the repo, commit it, and push it to github
  3. Go to your github repo on github and verify that the new file is there.
  4. Make a small modification to the file, and commit with the message Part 5 complete! and push this change to github.
  5. Again go to your github repo on github and verify the new file is there.

git on the command line #

Note that you can also do all of this from the command line in the integrated terminal within VSCode

git add file.txt        #add a new file to the commit
git commit -m "message" #perform the commit with the commit message
git push                #push the commit to github

Part 6: Github Issues #

We will be using Github issues for communicating about your assignments in this class. Let’s quickly practice creating an issue now. At the top bar of options on your repository, click on Issues, then click the green button New Issue.

Name your issue “Lab 0 Testing Issues” for the Title and then in the body, answer the following questions by copy pasting the below into the box. (Note that the issue box understands markdown, and you can also preview it.)

1. What time locally is it for you right now?
   > PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE (leave in > for a quote)
2. How many hours did you spend working on this lab
   > PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE (leave in > for a quote)
3. What is your favorite color?
   > PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE (leave in > for a quote)
4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
   > PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE (leave in > for a quote)
5. What is your favorite number? 
   > PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE (leave in > for a quote)

Then finally, at the bottom tag the teaching staff by adding @cs2113-f21/grading-staff

Part 5 Requirements:

  1. Follow the instructions above and open an issue
  2. Answer the questions and tag the teaching staff