In GitHub, the actions Pin, Watch, Fork, and Star serve different purposes to help users interact with repositories and projects. Here's an explanation of each.
Pin
- Pinning allows you to highlight specific repositories on your GitHub profile. You can pin repositories that are important to you, whether they're your own or others' repos, to make them easily accessible from your profile page.
- Use case: If you want to showcase key projects that you're proud of or currently working on, you can pin them to your GitHub profile for visibility.
How to Pin:
Go to your GitHub profile → Scroll down to the "Pinned repositories" section → Click the "Customize your pins" button → Select up to 6 repositories.
Watch
- Watching a repository allows you to receive notifications whenever there's activity (new issues, pull requests, comments, etc.) in that repository.
- There are different levels of watching:
- Watching: Get notified about all conversations.
- Releases Only: Get notified only when new releases are published.
- Ignoring: Do not receive any notifications.
- Use case: If you're collaborating on a project or interested in its development, you can watch the repository to stay updated with real-time notifications.
How to Watch:
On a repository's page, click the "Watch" button at the top-right corner → Choose your notification preference.
Fork
- Forking creates a copy of someone else's repository under your GitHub account. It allows you to freely experiment with the code without affecting the original repository.
- Use case: If you want to contribute to a project or make changes for your own use, you can fork the repository, make changes in your fork, and later submit a pull request to propose your changes to the original repository.
How to Fork:
On a repository's page, click the "Fork" button at the top-right corner. A copy of the repository will be created under your account.
Star
- Starring a repository allows you to bookmark it for later reference and also indicate that you find the project interesting or useful. Starring is also used as a way to gauge the popularity or usefulness of a project (more stars = more popular).
- Use case: If you come across a repository you like or plan to use in the future, you can star it to keep track of it.
How to Star:
On a repository's page, click the "Star" button near the top-right corner.