Git – Why Learn Git When GUI Apps Exist for GitHub?

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Given that GitHub provides GUI apps for both Mac and Windows, what are the benefits of learning to use git from the command line?

Currently I'm using their mac app to update my repositories, and so far it seems to cover my needs. What might I be missing out on?

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I think this question is just a special case of "Why should I learn any CLI for which a GUI alternative exist?". I suspect the latter question is about as old as GUIs, and I assume there were many attempts to answer it over the years. I could try to bumble my way through my own answer to this question, but Neal Stephenson articulated what I agree with as the 'ultimate answer' more than ten years ago in his remarkable essay In the Beginning... Was the Command Line.

While the essay touches on many aspects of computing, and while even Stephenson himself thinks that a lot of it is now obsolete, the essay explains in what ways CLIs are better GUIs in an extremely compelling manner that literally changed my life. It's a long read (~40 pages), but I can't recommend it enough to anyone who asks questions like you asked here.

Finally, though I'd answer any CLI vs GUI sort of question in similar vein, I think my answer holds especially true to your specific question since of all computer things you chose to ask about git. git is arguably the latest tool in a not-so-long list of computer tools that are truly worthy of the hole-hawg metaphor as described in Stephenson's essay. git, like several other Unix-ish things, is a reason to know CLIs all in itself. Sometimes in spite of its erratic 'porcelain'; sometimes because of it.

So yes, you can definitely be productive with github's GUI, either for OSX or even just on their website. Yes, it's actually quite sleek, I use the features of the site often. But no, you will never have that Godly feeling as your right pinky hangs above an insane git filter-branch command for an aeon or two. If I had to keep just one thing from my experience with computing - the mental challenges, the close friendships formed in a datcenter at 2AM, the infinite ladder of competence to climb, touching users' lives and reigning over PBs of precious data, the cushy jobs and comfortable life - keep just one thing - it'd be that Godly feeling.

Related Solutions

Php – Git Project Dependencies on GitHub

First, if you really want to use git for this, then consider using its Submodule functionality:

Git's submodule support allows a repository to contain, as a subdirectory, a checkout of an external project. Submodules maintain their own identity; the submodule support just stores the submodule repository location and commit ID, so other developers who clone the containing project ("superproject") can easily clone all the submodules at the same revision. Partial checkouts of the superproject are possible: you can tell Git to clone none, some or all of the submodules.

The linked page contains a detailed discussion including examples of how to use it exactly.

That said, I would recommend not to use your version control system for dependency management and rather start using a build tool that can handle these things for you, such as Maven or Ant. There is even a PHP-specific build tool in development called Phing, but I haven't used it myself yet. It is mentioned in an article that discusses your question: Version Control != Dependency Management.

The reason build tools may be a better fit in the long run is because they often also support different repository types, external libraries (and different locations) and extensive checking. If you however just want to integrate these two libraries and don't want any additional hassle, the submodule approach is probably sufficient.

How to Organize a Framework-Based Project in Git

Sounds like git submodules are exactly what you are looking for.

Put your framework in one repo. And each separate project into its own repo as well. Then include the framework as submodule in the project-repos:

git submodule add <clone path to framework repo>

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Related Solutions

Php – Git Project Dependencies on GitHub

How to Organize a Framework-Based Project in Git

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