GitHub CLI (gh): Essential Commands for Developers

Introduction

GitHub CLI (gh) is a powerful command-line tool that brings the full power of GitHub to your terminal. Whether you’re managing repositories, creating pull requests, or tracking issues, GitHub CLI streamlines workflows, making it an indispensable tool for developers. In this guide, we will cover the most commonly used gh commands, focusing on auth, repo, pr, issue, release, browse, gist, and copilot. We’ll also touch on a few additional frequently used commands to help you maximize your productivity.

Why Use GitHub CLI?

GitHub CLI simplifies development workflows by allowing you to interact with GitHub directly from your terminal. This eliminates the need to switch between your terminal and browser, saving time and improving efficiency. With GitHub CLI, you can:

• Authenticate and manage GitHub accounts.
• Create and manage repositories.
• Open and review pull requests.
• Track and resolve issues.
• Publish releases.
• Share code snippets through gists.
• Leverage AI-powered coding assistance with GitHub Copilot.

Getting Started with GitHub CLI

Before diving into the essential commands, you need to install GitHub CLI on your system. You can download the latest version of GitHub CLI from the official website. Once installed, you can start using the gh command to interact with GitHub from your terminal.

1. Authentication with gh auth

The gh auth command is your starting point with GitHub CLI. It allows you to log in, log out, and manage authentication tokens.

Common gh auth Commands:

• Login to GitHub:

  gh auth login

  Follow the prompts to authenticate with your GitHub account. You can choose between HTTPS or SSH for authentication.

• Check Authentication Status:

  gh auth status

  Verify if you’re logged in and see details about your authentication method.

• Logout:

  gh auth logout

  Logs you out of your GitHub account.

2. Repository Management with gh repo

The gh repo command allows you to create, clone, fork, and manage repositories directly from your terminal.

Common gh repo Commands:

• Clone a Repository:

  gh repo clone owner/repo-name

  Clones a repository to your local machine.

• Create a New Repository:

  gh repo create

  Follow the prompts to create a new repository on GitHub.

• View Repository Details:

  gh repo view

  Displays information about the current repository.

• Fork a Repository:

  gh repo fork owner/repo-name

  Creates a fork of the specified repository.

3. Pull Requests with gh pr

Pull requests are at the heart of collaboration on GitHub. The gh pr command lets you create, view, and manage pull requests with ease.

Common gh pr Commands:

• Create a New Pull Request:

  gh pr create

  Opens an interactive prompt to create a pull request for your current branch.

• View Pull Requests:

  gh pr list

  Lists all open pull requests in the repository.

• Checkout a Pull Request:

  gh pr checkout pr-number

  Checks out the branch associated with the specified pull request.

• Merge a Pull Request:

  gh pr merge pr-number

  Merges the specified pull request.

4. Issue Tracking with gh issue

The gh issue command helps you manage issues, a core part of project tracking and collaboration on GitHub.

Common gh issue Commands:

• Create a New Issue:

  gh issue create

  Opens an interactive prompt to create a new issue.

• List Issues:

  gh issue list

  Lists all open issues in the repository.

• View Issue Details:

  gh issue view issue-number

  Displays detailed information about a specific issue.

• Close an Issue:

  gh issue close issue-number

  Closes the specified issue.

5. Releases with gh release

The gh release command allows you to manage releases, which are used to package and distribute project versions.

Common gh release Commands:

• Create a New Release:

  gh release create tag-name

  Creates a new release with the specified tag name.

• List Releases:

  gh release list

  Lists all releases in the repository.

• View Release Details:

  gh release view tag-name

  Displays details about the specified release.

• Delete a Release:

  gh release delete tag-name

  Deletes the specified release.

6. Browsing with gh browse

The gh browse command is a quick way to open the current repository, issues, or pull requests in your default web browser.

Common gh browse Commands:

• Open the Current Repository in Browser:

  gh browse

  Opens the repository page in your default web browser.

• Open a Specific Issue or Pull Request:

  gh browse issue-number

  Opens the specified issue or pull request in your browser.

7. Sharing Code with gh gist

The gh gist command is used to create and manage gists, which are simple ways to share code snippets.

Common gh gist Commands:

• Create a New Gist:

  gh gist create file-name

  Creates a new gist from the specified file.

• List Your Gists:

  gh gist list

  Lists all your gists.

• View Gist Details:

  gh gist view gist-id

  Displays details about a specific gist.

• Delete a Gist:

  gh gist delete gist-id

  Deletes the specified gist.

8. AI-Powered Assistance with gh copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant that helps you write code faster and more efficiently. The gh copilot command manages Copilot settings and access.

Common gh copilot Commands:

• Enable Copilot:

  gh copilot enable

  Enables GitHub Copilot for your account.

• Disable Copilot:

  gh copilot disable

  Disables GitHub Copilot.

• Check Copilot Status:

  gh copilot status

  Displays the current status of GitHub Copilot.

Frequently Used Additional Commands

Here are a few more gh commands that developers often use:

• View Notifications:

  gh notification list

  Lists your GitHub notifications.

• Check GitHub CLI Version:

  gh --version

  Displays the installed version of GitHub CLI.

• Run Workflows:

  gh workflow run workflow-name

  Triggers a GitHub Actions workflow.

• List Workflow Runs:

  gh run list

  Lists recent workflow runs in the repository.

Final Thoughts

GitHub CLI (gh) is a game-changer for developers who want to optimize their workflows. By mastering these essential commands—auth, repo, pr, issue, release, browse, gist, and copilot—you can manage your GitHub projects more efficiently and focus on what really matters: writing great code.