Using GitHub for Spec Work

1. Create a new GitHub repository using the W3C Repository Manager. The spec's shortname in lowercase is usually a good choice.

2. Once the new repository is created, find it on GitHub and set up GitHub Pages to use the default branch, main (Settings / Options / GitHub Pages).

   

   The repository's contents will get automagically served from https://username.github.com/reponame.

   ⚠️ NB: be aware that GitHub Pages have some limitations.

3. Clone the repository locally.

   git clone https://github.com/tobie/specs-on-github.git

4. Navigate to the repo.

   cd specs-on-github

5. Now we want to create the spec document itself. I use ReSpec, so I simply curl the content of the default template into an index.html page at the root of my repository.

   curl https://www.w3.org/respec/examples/template.html > index.html

6. We can then add it to the repository.

   git add index.html
   git commit -m "Add empty doc."

7. Lets now push these changes back to our GitHub account.

   git push origin main

   The first time you push changes it can take a little while for the code to be published to your subdomain, so be patient. But it'll be ready soon enough.

8. Set up your favorite labels

9. Bask in the glory of modern spec development.

(For help and tips about Git itself, refer to the dedicated page.)