I hope you know much about git.

Why do we need tools like GitHub?

GitHub it is a place where you can store your code online, it doesn't mean its the only one, but most popular. Due to its generous free services, high security and, again popularity.

You can store, write, update your code with others, but what's more with GitHub is working with branches, opening issues, wiki for a repository.

Branches

• its like, Everyone can work on same ship without interfering work of others.
• Branches concept is similar to time travel your code.
• You can commit on a branch, for a change in file. afterwards you can see those logs and also go back there.
• Merge a branch in your codebase, maintain different versions of your code.

Is it ok for a Developer alone?

• It depends on project, but most of the time yes. As it shows your work to public.
• You can maintain your repository with a nice format, from anywhere in world.

Is it ok to contribute in other projects?

• Yes, this can help you to understand best practices to maintain a codebase, how things work at different levels.
• You got to know a lot of people, groups.
• Develops your community skills, connections.

Fork

• Fork is use to get a copy of another repository for your, so that you can make changes over it, collaborate.
• After making changes you can send pull requests, so that admin of that repository can merge your code.

Issues

• whenever there is code, there is a bug so, consider a situation where you find a error in code, but you don't know how to fix it, that's where you can open issues on that.
• You can use issues section as Task list, most used one.

Tip - Start using it as a shopping list, personal diary or films to watch list, that's how I practice Git & GitHub.

That's it on GitHub, if you want a cheat sheet on GitHub.

Checkout devhints.io