How do I add an existing Solution to GitHub from Visual Studio 2013

Question

I have looked through many web pages on the new Git integration in VS 2013 and they do not deal with adding an existing solution to Github. In fact I can't find much on using GitHub instead of Visual Studio Online.

Can anyone tell me how I start from an existing solution and add it to Github using the tools in VS 2013.

Answer 1

OK this worked for me.

1. Open the solution in Visual Studio 2013
2. Select File | Add to Source Control
3. Select the Microsoft Git Provider

That creates a local GIT repository

3. Surf to GitHub
4. Create a new repository DO NOT SELECT Initialize this repository with a README

That creates an empty repository with no Master branch

1. Once created open the repository and copy the URL (it's on the right of the screen in the current version)
2. Go back to Visual Studio
   • Make sure you have the Microsoft Git Provider selected under Tools/Options/Source Control/Plug-in Selection
3. Open Team Explorer
4. Select Home | Unsynced Commits
5. Enter the GitHub URL into the yellow box (use HTTPS URL, not the default shown SSH one)
6. Click Publish
7. Select Home | Changes
8. Add a Commit comment
9. Select Commit and Push from the drop down

Your solution is now in GitHub

Answer 2

There is a lot easier way to do this that doesn't even require you to do anything outside Visual Studio.

• Open your project in Visual Studio
• File> Add to source control
• Open Team Explorer, click on Home button, proceed to "Sync" and there you'd find the "Publish to GitHub". Click on "Get Started"
• Type title of your repository and description (optionally).
• Click on "Publish"

That's all. Visual Studio github plugin automatically created repository for you and configured everything. Now just click on Home and choose "Changes" tab and finally commit your first commit.

Answer 3

This question has already been answered accurately by Richard210363.

However, I would like to point out that there is another way to do this, and to warn that this alternate approach should be avoided, as it causes problems.

As R0MANARMY stated in a comment to the original question, it is possible to create a repo from the existing solution folder using the git command line or even Git Gui. However, when you do this it adds all the files below that folder to the repo, including build output (bin/ obj/ folders) user options files (.suo, .csproj.user) and numerous other files that may be in your solution folder but that you don't want to include in your repo. One unwanted side effect of this is that after building locally, the build output will show up in your "changes" list.

When you add using "Select File | Add to Source Control" in Visual Studio, it intelligently includes the correct project and solution files, and leaves the other ones out. Also it automatically creates a .gitignore file that helps prevent these unwanted files from being added to the repo in the future.

If you have already created a repo that includes these unwanted files and then add the .gitignore file at a later time, the unwanted files will still remain part of the repo and will need to be removed manually... it's probably easier to delete the repo and start over again by creating the repo the correct way.