How To Download One Folder From Github

If yous've always used GitHub before, y'all know that it'due south not immediately clear on how to download files from the platform. It'southward one of the more complicated platform, as it isn't direct meant for direct file sharing, simply for evolution instead. Granted, one of the large things near GitHub is that all of the public repositories are open source, and people are encouraged to contribute — there are individual repositories, just these are mostly used for evolution purposes within businesses that don't want their code seen by the public. GitHub, however, still handles downloading files differently than other places.

How To Download Files From GitHub

And so if you're not entirely sure how you can download files from projects (or unabridged projects) from GitHub, we're going to show you how. Let's go started.

Downloading a File From GitHub

Most public repositories tin can exist downloaded for free, without even a user account. This is because public repositories are considered to be codebases that are open up source. That said, unless the owner of the codebase checks a box otherwise, their codebase can be downloaded onto your computer, packed into a .zip file.

So, if you lot become to a public codebase — such as this Tip Figurer that I built — y'all'll notice that in the top-right corner is a green button that says Clone or Download, click on the button.
Then, in the dropdown, select Download ZIP. All of the files volition begin downloading to your computer, usually in your Downloads binder.
And then, open your Downloads folder on your estimator and find the Null file. Yous'll want to correct-click information technology and choose the option that says Extract All…, Unzip, or Uncompress, so select a folder where yous want the files to terminate upwards.
Finally, navigate to that selected folder, and you lot'll find all of those Github files that we downloaded correct there!

That's a fairly pocket-sized codebase, with only a couple of files in it. If you become to Wes Bos' JavaScript 30 repository on Github, you'll notice that — since it is a public repository — it can be downloaded the same fashion.

Downloading GitHub Files Using Commands

Alternatively, you tin easily clone a file or repository using a few simple commands on GitHub. For this to work, you'll need to install the Git tools. Nosotros're going to be installing the same tip figurer from the control line in this demo.

Re-create the URL from your accost bar or from the same carte du jour where yous downloaded the zip file from.
Open upward Git Bash, blazon in "cd Downloads" and hit Enter. This will accept yous to the Downloads folder in the command window, you can likewise type any file location you want to save the file in.
Now, type in "git clone https://github.com/bdward16/tip-estimator.git"and hit Enter.
Using this method, the files are automatically unzipped when downloaded.

There'south a Better Way to Download Files

While the manner we outlined is uncomplicated and straightforward, it's near optimal for simply viewing the lawmaking files, not experimenting. If you're planning on downloading GitHub files to experiment with, the best manner would be to "fork" the projection. A fork is simply your own copy of a repository.

Forking a repository comes with a number of benefits. It gives you your ain copy on your GitHub account that allows you to freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project. For instance, you could observe a bug in my Tip Estimator or want to add your own features. And then, you lot could "fork" my Tip Calculator, creating a copy on your GitHub account. Hither, you could mess around the lawmaking and experiment with it without affecting the original project, considering this would be your copy or "fork."

Most commonly, forks are used to either propose changes to someone else's project, similar fixing a problems or adding a feature as we mentioned.

So, how practice you fork a public repository? Information technology's actually quite piece of cake. Earlier we get started, you lot need to create a complimentary GitHub business relationship, every bit you'll need somewhere to store your fork. You tin caput to www.github.com and do this right now.

In one case you have your business relationship created, you lot tin can fork a public repository to your account.

For case, you tin can head over to the public repository for Wes Bos' 30 Days of JavaScript training form, and in the top-right corner, you'll meet a push that says Fork. Click the button.
It could take a couple of seconds to a few minutes, but GitHub volition then clone or "fork" that project over to your own GitHub account. Once it's done, it'll immediately show you the project nether your GitHub username.
To verify, yous can click on your profile icon in the navigation bar at the elevation-right, and and then select the option that says Your Repositories . In your list of repositories, you should run into the JavaScript xxx course codebase.

Now, you can change and experiment with the code all yous want, and information technology won't impact the original projection files of the original owner. If you change some code, fix a bug, or add a new feature, you lot tin create something chosen a "Pull Request," where that change tin can exist discussed. If the original project owner likes the change — and it works properly — it can exist merged into the original codebase as production code.

Closing

As you can see, downloading files and whole projects from GitHub is actually quite piece of cake. In simply a couple of minutes, you can take an unabridged project downloaded onto your computer, or fifty-fifty forked to your ain GitHub account. Information technology doesn't take much to mess around with the lawmaking in your fork to encounter what affects what, then somewhen, yous might even be able to create your first pull request! Happy coding!