GitHub Desktop#

#Viewing History

Left sidebar History tab:

• Displays all commits on the currently checked-out branch.
• Select a commit to inspect its diff panel on the right.
• Right-click a commit for actions:
  • Revert this commit
  • Reset to this commit
  • Cherry-pick to branch
  • Create branch from commit
  • Copy SHA

#Inline Diff

Default view presenting additions and deletions within a single unified panel.

#Side-by-Side Diff

Click the Split view icon located at the top right of the diff panel.

#Hide Whitespace Changes

Navigate to menu File → Hide Whitespace Changes — useful when code formatting mutates numerous lines across files.

#Expand Context Lines

Click + or - icons within the diff viewer to expand context lines surrounding changes.

#Partial Commits (Line-by-Line Staging)

Use Case: Multiple unrelated modifications exist in a single file, but require separate commits.

1. Select target file in the Changes list.
2. Hover over line numbers in the diff panel to display selection checkboxes.
3. Check only the specific lines intended for inclusion in the commit.
4. Execute commit — only checked lines are committed.

Alternative: Hover over a diff hunk → click Discard hunk or select specific hunks for staging.

#Stashing

Navigate to Branch → Stash all changes — temporarily stores working directory changes when switching branches.

Select Branch → Restore stash to reapply changes.

AEM Development Example: Working on Feature A when an urgent bug requires immediate attention → stash changes → switch branch and apply fix → return to feature branch and restore stash.

#Pull Requests

Click Create Pull Request after pushing a branch.

• GitHub Desktop launches browser to the pull request creation page.
• Native integration available for GitHub repositories.
• Azure DevOps / GitLab repositories redirect to corresponding remote web interfaces.

#Merge & Rebase

#Merging Another Branch into Current Branch

Select Branch → Merge into current branch (Ctrl+Shift+M):

• Select target source branch.
• Click Create a merge commit.

#Rebasing

Select Branch → Rebase current branch (Ctrl+Shift+E):

• Select target base branch (typically develop or main).
• Click Start rebase.

Typical AEM Workflow:

1. Branch feature/AMS-1234 from develop.
2. Commit implementation changes.
3. Prior to merging: rebase onto develop to ensure a clean linear history.
4. Push changes (use --force-with-lease if previously pushed).
5. Open Pull Request.

#Resolving Merge Conflicts

When conflicts occur during a merge or rebase:

1. GitHub Desktop lists conflicting files.
2. Click Open in editor (launches VS Code or configured editor).
3. Conflict markers appear in code: <<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>.
4. Resolve conflicts in editor and save file.
5. Return to GitHub Desktop → click Continue merge or Continue rebase.

#Co-Authors

Within the commit message panel → expand Add Co-authors:

Co-authored-by: Name <[email protected]>

GitHub recognizes co-author annotations and displays multiple contributor avatars on the commit.

#Repository Settings

Navigate to Repository → Repository settings:

• Remote — update remote repository URLs.
• Branch — modify default branch designation.
• Git LFS — manage Large File Storage options.
• Git Ignore — edit .gitignore rules directly within app.
• Git Config — set repository-specific configurations (user.name, user.email).

#Keyboard Shortcuts

#Integration with External Editors

Navigate to File → Options → Integrations:

• External Editor: select VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, etc.
• Shell: select PowerShell, Git Bash, Command Prompt.

Then use shortcuts:

• Ctrl+Shift+A → Open repository in external editor.
• `Ctrl+`` → Open repository terminal shell.

#Multi-Repository Management

Top-left repository dropdown lists all cloned repositories.

Quick switch between repositories: press Ctrl+T → search repository name.

AEM Workspace Setup Example:

- mysite (main project)
- mysite-dispatcher
- mysite-cicd

Open separate repositories in GitHub Desktop to switch contexts quickly.

#Limitations & CLI Workarounds

#Unsupported UI Operations

• Submodule operations (submodules require Git CLI execution).
• Advanced interactive rebase (reordering, editing historic commits).
• Cherry-picking arbitrary commit ranges.
• Git bisect workflows.

#Workaround: Launching Git CLI

Select Repository → Open in Shell (`Ctrl+``) to execute complex Git CLI commands.

# Interactive rebase of last 3 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~3

# Cherry-pick a range of commits
git cherry-pick abc123..def456