Git version control basics in Gitpod

In the previous blog post, we configured our own Tabris.js based project in Gitpod. Now we are going to commit and push these configuration changes to the remote repository with the help of the Git version control system.

Git is one of the most powerful, free, and open-source distributed version control systems designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. Gitpod integrates closely with it by offering convenient UIs. In this blog post, we will give you an overview of how to use basic Git commands that are built into the Gitpod.

If you prefer to push changes directly to the master branch, you can skip the following steps about creating a new branch.
 

Create a new branch by clicking the branch icon in the bottom left of the Gitpod window:

Select “Create new branch“:

Give it a useful name:

After confirming, your new branch will be checked out. Push to “origin“ by clicking on the cloud icon:

We add a message and commit the staged files in the Git panel (click the plus icon to move the files from changes to the staged changes section):

Push local commit to “origin/configure-project“ by clicking the up-arrow icon:

Changes are now in the new “configure-project“ branch:

Now you know all the essential procedures to develop a Tabris.js app with Gitpod, and it’s time to build your app. Tabris offers a free online build service that makes the development process much easier. After signing in, you can create the app in the “My Apps” section by clicking “Create App”. Then select your GitHub repository in the list of repositories. After a successful build, you can download the app directly from the service to your device and install it. If you create the app in debug mode, you can even sideload your project from Gitpod.

It is amazing that you can develop and create an app without downloading/installing anything on your PC. That is the strength of cloud development with Tabris.js and Gitpod.