git-extras

For staging and committing files as well as using with diff, git-extras provides a basic graphical interface.

As if 60 utilities in the repositories were not enough, git-extras collects over 80 scripts for Git. While git-extras has its own man page, each script also has a man page. Like the packages in the repository, git-extras covers a wide variety of purposes. Some of these scripts duplicate functions that are already in Git, but with different, improved options. Many make housekeeping tasks for branches easier. Five of the most useful are:

• git-back: Removes the latest commits. The bare command removes the last commit; if followed by a number, it removes that many of the latest commits.
• git-bulk: Runs standard git commands on multiple repositories at the same time. The command could, of course, cause unintentional damage if used carelessly. For this reason, it should be used with the -g option, which asks for approval before making any change.
• git-sed: Searches the files in a repo for a string and replaces it with a string.
• git-merge-repo: Merges two repos.
• git-obliterate: Rewrites commits, changing both contents and histories.

There is not enough space to mention all the goodies in git-extras. Install it and explore for yourself – it's a must-have for almost everyone.

Finding More Commands

If git-extras is not enough, there is no shortage of other enhancements, especially if you delve into specialty areas. GitHub alone returns 79 results in a search for "git add-ons" [1]. An especially noteworthy repository is Steve Mao's Awesome Git Add-Ons [2], which links to demonstrations of dozens of tools. These sources alone can take hours to explore.

Of course, remembering the optimal size for repositories that is the reason for git-sizer, you will likely want to be cautious about commands that add their command files to a repository itself. After all, the last thing you want is to fill the repository directory with tools rather than your development files. However, if you are willing to take the time, you can soon have your Git repositories running exactly as you want.