Paul Krill
Editor at Large

GitHub CLI brings GitHub to the command line

news
Feb 14, 20202 mins

Command-line interface to the code hosting platform can be used for issues and pull requests

command line
Credit: Thinkstock

GitHub has launched GitHub CLI, a new command-line interface that promises a more-seamless way to work with the code hosting platform. GitHub CLI is available immediately in a beta version. 

Installable on Windows, Linux, and macOS, GitHub CLI can be used to access issues, and pull requests from the terminal, where developers already are working with git and their code. GitHub CLI offers the following benefits:

  • Easy creation of pull requests and issues with no need to leave the command line.
  • Fast status checks. You can see the status of open issues and pull requests and find out what awaits review.
  • Easy navigation and filtering of issues and pull requests, which can be opened in the browser.

For pull requests, GitHub CLI automatically creates a fork when developers lack one, and pushes a branch and forges a pull request to get a change merged. Developers  later can view a snapshot of what happened since the pull request was created.

GitHub is seeking user feedback on GitHub CLI. To provide it, developers can create an issue in the GitHub CLI open source repository or offer feedback on a Google form. The company wants to know what commands users want and what is clunky or missing.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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