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Submitting Changes
This guide covers how to save (commit) your changes and what happens after.
A commit is like a save point in a video game. It:
- Saves your changes permanently
- Records who made the change and when
- Includes a message describing what changed
- Can be undone if needed
Every time you save changes on GitHub, you're creating a commit.
- Make your changes in the file editor
- Scroll down to find "Commit changes"
- Fill in the commit form:
- Commit message (required): Brief description of what you changed
- Extended description (optional): More details if needed
- Keep "Commit directly to the
mainbranch" selected - Click Commit changes
- After adding your content, scroll down
- Fill in the commit form as above
- Click Commit new file
- After selecting files to upload
- Write a commit message
- Click Commit changes
- Be brief but descriptive (under 50 characters is ideal)
- Use present tense ("Add" not "Added")
- Explain what and why, not how
| Good | Bad |
|---|---|
Update meeting time to 7:30 PM |
changes |
Add Field Day 2025 photos |
added stuff |
Fix typo in repeater frequency |
fixed it |
Add Winter Field Day event post |
new file |
-
Add [thing]- When creating new content -
Update [thing]- When modifying existing content -
Fix [thing]- When correcting errors -
Remove [thing]- When deleting content
Your commit is saved to the repository immediately.
An automated build process starts within seconds.
Hugo processes all the content and generates the website (1-2 minutes).
The new site is deployed to GitHub Pages.
Your updates are visible on the website!
Total time: Usually 2-3 minutes from commit to live.
- Go to the repository main page
- Click on "commits" (shows the number of commits)
- Find your commit in the list
- Click on it to see exactly what changed
- Go to the Actions tab
- Find the workflow run for your commit
- Green checkmark = success
- Click to see build details if needed
- Check the Actions tab for error details
- Common causes:
- Typo in front matter YAML
- Missing
---delimiter - Invalid date format
- Make a new commit to fix the issue
- Check your Markdown syntax
- Preview on GitHub
- Make corrections and commit again
Contact the webmaster - they can help revert changes if needed.
- Make small, focused commits
- Don't wait until you've made many changes
- Easier to find and fix problems
- Read through your changes
- Check the preview
- Make sure everything looks right
- Use clear commit messages
- Let others know if you're making big changes
- Ask for help if unsure
- Don't edit the same file as someone else at the same time
- Communicate about who's working on what
- Make smaller, more frequent commits
- Review what they changed
- Make sure your edits don't conflict
- Reach out if there's any overlap
- Make changes
- Preview (optional but recommended)
- Write commit message
- Click Commit
- Wait for build
- Check live site
[Action] [What] [Why if not obvious]
Examples:
Add December meeting announcement
Update repeater offset for 70cm
Fix broken link to ARRL page
Remove outdated hamfest info
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Make your changes |
| 2 | Write clear commit message |
| 3 | Click "Commit changes" |
| 4 | Wait 2-3 minutes |
| 5 | Check the live website |
If you run into problems:
- Check this wiki for answers
- Look at the Actions tab for error messages
- Ask a fellow club member
- Contact the webmaster
Remember: It's hard to break anything permanently! All changes are tracked and can be undone.
Congratulations! You now know how to contribute to the RARS website. Happy editing, and 73!