The “gh” command is the official GitHub CLI (Command-Line Interface) tool provided by GitHub. It allows users to work seamlessly with GitHub repositories and other GitHub features directly from the command-line interface, enhancing productivity and efficiency in managing projects and collaborating with others.
With “gh”, users can perform a wide range of actions on GitHub repositories without the need to switch to a web browser or use the GitHub website. It provides a convenient and streamlined workflow for interacting with GitHub, enabling users to perform tasks such as creating repositories, managing issues and pull requests, reviewing code, and more.
Here are some key features and capabilities of the “gh” command:
- Repository Management: Users can create new repositories, clone existing repositories, view repository details, and manage repository settings, all from the command line.
- Issue and Pull Request Management: Users can create and manage issues and pull requests, including creating new ones, listing existing ones, reviewing and commenting on them, and merging pull requests.
- Collaboration: Users can interact with other GitHub users by mentioning them, assigning tasks, requesting reviews, and participating in discussions, all from the command line.
- Code Review: Users can view and review code changes, leave comments, and provide feedback on pull requests, making it easier to collaborate and improve code quality.
- Workflows: Users can view and manage GitHub Actions workflows, trigger manual runs, monitor progress, and get information about workflow runs.
- Repository Navigation: Users can easily navigate between different branches, tags, and commits, view commit history, and compare changes between branches or commits.
- GitHub API Integration: The “gh” command utilizes the GitHub API, allowing users to access and interact with various GitHub features programmatically.
The “gh” command simplifies and streamlines the workflow of interacting with GitHub repositories and collaborating with others. It enables developers and teams to efficiently manage their projects, review code changes, and participate in discussions, all without leaving the command-line environment. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing Git workflows and is highly customizable through configuration options.
To get started with “gh”, users need to install it on their local machine and authenticate with their GitHub account. Once authenticated, they can use the command-line tool to interact with GitHub and perform various actions on repositories and other GitHub resources.
The “gh” command is actively maintained by GitHub and regularly updated with new features and improvements, ensuring a reliable and powerful tool for working with GitHub from the command-line interface.
gh Command Examples
1. Clone a GitHub repository locally:
# gh repo clone owner/repository
2. Create a new issue:
# gh issue create
3. View and filter the open issues of the current repository:
# gh issue list
4. View an issue in the default web browser:
# gh issue view --web issue_number
5. Create a pull request:
# gh pr create
6. View a pull request in the default web browser:
# gh pr view --web pr_number
7. Check out a specific pull request locally:
# gh pr checkout pr_number
8. Check the status of a repository’s pull requests:
# gh pr status