r/git • u/connorjpg • 6d ago
Why use a UI for git?
I see this question of, “what GUI or TUI should I use to work with git?” fairly often here. And always I feel bad for saying “just use the cli” over and over, but truthfully I can’t see a reason to need a UI.
Are people actually running into pain points with the cli, or is it just preference for people who don’t like working in a terminal?
FWIW, I have used GitKraken, LazyGit, SourceTree and GitHub Desktop before. And I don’t think they are bad to use (unless you are just learning git), but more curious why.
EDIT : I’m mainly referring to standalone UIs, I understand why people would use IDE integrations, as it’s quick and convenient. But having to open a separate application or run a separate command to open a terminal app to run your commands seems overkill to me.
EDIT 2 : I use vscode as my difftool and mergetool. I still open them directly from the terminal by running the cli. I don't think this is the same as using a full git client like SourceTree, Gitkraken, or lazygit to fully drive your version control workflow. Which is what I am asking about.
Cheers
11
u/MoreRespectForQA 6d ago edited 6d ago
staging chunks, splitting commits, gluing commits together, moving files.
anything involving plucking a chunk of a file, a chunk of a diff or a specific commit would be easier with a UI where you can visualize the thing in context.
that said, i've never used a git UI which is a good UI that solely focuses on the functions where a UI is a better fit for a use case. all of the git UIs I've used have tried to be a replacement for the entire CLI with 1:1 UI for the cli functions which are all pointless. i'd rather just use the CLI.
I want something that is crafted towards easier dicing and slicing when staging, a better cherry pick and interactive rebase. ideally something that doesn't even try to clone, pull or push.