Clone and branch a repository#

This page describes how to clone (download) a GitHub repository and then provides conceptual information on how you use your Git tool to create a local branch where you modify or add to the codebase, eventually submitting your suggested changes in a PR to the GitHub repository. For Git-related procedural information, see the documentation for your preferred Git tool.

Clone a repository#

Before you can contribute to a PyAnsys project, you must clone the GitHub repository.

Copy the URL for the repository.
If the Ansys Python Manager and the Administrator window are not open, open them. For more information, see Install and use the Ansys Python Manager.
In the Administrator window, use the cd command to go to the directory where you want to clone the repository.

For example, run a command like this one:
```
cd C:\AnsysDev\GitRepos\PyAnsys
```
Run this git command, where <url> is the URL for the repository:
```
git clone <url>
```
For example, run a command like this one:
```
git clone https://github.com/ansys/pymechanical
```

Pull changes from the main branch on GitHub#

Once you have a clone of the repository, before creating a local branch to work in, ensure that you have the latest codebase. Using your Git tool, pull changes from the remote main branch on GitHub into the main branch of your locally cloned repository.

Create a local branch#

Once your clone of the repository is up to date, use your Git tool to create a local branch to make changes in. For changes related to documentation, your branch name should begin with doc/ followed by a descriptive name. For example, you might name your branch doc/overall_review if that describes your suggested changes. You might name your branch doc/hfss_py_edits if your are suggesting changes to that particular PY file. For more information on naming branches, see Branch-naming conventions.

Commit local changes and pull remote changes#

As you work in your local branch, periodically commit your changes and pull changes from the remote main branch to ensure that no changes there conflict with changes that you have made in your local branch. If conflicts do exist, resolve them in your local branch before pushing your changes to a PR.

Push changes to a PR#

When you are ready to push your changes to a PR, first pull changes again from the remote main branch to your local branch. Providing that there are no conflicts to resolve, push your changes to create a PR or add to an existing PR. For more information, see Create a PR. Ensure that all checks run by the CI/CD process are successful. If any checks fail, see Resolve issues causing check failures.