How To Use Git in Eclipse

Version control is one of important things that you should consider when you work as a team with some people in a project development. In software development, there are some version control tools that can maintain application source codes such as Git and SVN. Main different between them is the use of local repository. SVN doesn't use any local repository so every committed changes will be stored directly to and maintain by remote SVN server. But, when you use Git, you must create local repository first. Pictures below show you the difference.

SVN scheme

Git scheme

You can use Git with some tools such as command line tools and desktop client applications. In this post, I will only show you how to use Git with Eclipse.

Set Up Remote Repository on GitHub

There are many Git repository service providers such as GitHub, Sourceforge, BitBucket, etc. But, I will use GitHub as example.

• Create new account on GitHub.
• Create new repository on GitHub. As a free member, you only can make public repositories. In this example, my repository name is "test".

Create new repository

• Copy your Git repository address. For example, my repository address is "https://github.com/lukibsubekti/test.git".

Copy repository location

Install EGit in Eclipse

Some Eclipse distributions have installed Git tools. But if there's no Git tools in your Eclipse, you can use EGit plugin.

• Choose Install New Software on Eclipse.
• Set software repository location to "http://download.eclipse.org/egit/updates".
• Install "Eclipse Git Team Provider".

Install EGit

Create Local Repository, Commit Changes, and Push to Remote Repository

• Create a new project in Eclipse. For example, I create a PHP project named "project_A" and use "D:\Web Projects\project_A" as project directory.

Create new project

• Right click on project_A folder in Eclipse. Choose Team --> Share Project --> Git.
• Create local repository. I use "D:\git\test" as the location.

Create local repository

• NOTE: In Eclipse, it's recommended that you don't create local repository inside your project directory because it can make Eclipse project load process to be longer.
• Finally, in my work, Eclipse use "D:\git\test\.git" as local repository directory (outside the project_A  project directory) and move project_A project directory to "D:\git\test\project_A".
• Try to create new file on your project. You can use "Git Staging" panel to see all current changes which has not yet committed (unstaged changes).
• Right click  on project_A folder in Eclipse. Choose Team --> Commit.
• Insert your comment and select all files to be committed to repository. If you choose "Commit", your changes will be only on local repository. You should choose "Commit and Push" to make it available on remote repository.

Commit changes

• Set up push configuration.

Push to remote repository

Push ref specification

• Now, your repository will be available on GitHub.

Remote repository on GitHub

Clone Project from Remote Repository

For this tutorial, I have built another project named project_X and stored it in GitHub repository. I have no local copy of this project. So, I must clone the project from GitHub first.

• For example, the project is in remote repository at "https://github.com/lukibsubekti/test2.git".
• In Eclipse, choose File --> Import --> Project from Git --> Clone URI. This step will create local repositry. I place the local repository in "D:\git\test2\.git".

Clone from remote repository

• Because project_X in the repository is an Eclipse project, you can choose "Import existing project" in wizard for project import. It will create a project and place it in "D:\git\test2\project_X". 
• If there's no project configuration file (or other IDE configuration files) in remote repository, you can choose "New project wizard". If you choose new project wizard, at project creation section, you must choose project directory which has been created in local repository directory (eg. "D:\git\test3\project_name" not "D:\Web Projects\project_name").
• Now you have local repository and the project.

You can get more tutorials from Vogella or Eclipse Wiki.