GitHub CLI: The GitHub Workflow, Now in Your Terminal

GitHub has announced the beta release of GitHub CLI (gh), a new command-line tool designed to bring the GitHub workflow directly into the terminal. Available now for macOS, Windows, and Linux, the tool supports GitHub Team and Enterprise Cloud accounts, with Enterprise Server support planned for a later release.

The initial beta focuses on two of the most common daily workflows: issues and pull requests. The goal is to streamline the path between local development and the collaborative features on GitHub, removing the need to constantly switch between a terminal and a browser window.

Filtering and Viewing Issues

Once you’ve cloned a repository, gh lets you filter project issues without leaving your shell. For instance, you can list only issues tagged with a help wanted label to find tasks where maintainers are actively seeking community contributions.

To dig deeper into a specific issue, you can use gh to launch the full issue details directly in your web browser, providing immediate access to the complete discussion and context you need to start working on a fix.

Streamlined Pull Request Creation

Creating a pull request from the command line is significantly simplified. After making your commits on a new branch, gh handles the heavy lifting: if you don't have a remote fork, it will automatically create one for you. It then pushes your branch and generates the pull request to propose your changes for merging.

Once your pull request is up, you can use gh to get a status snapshot, showing the current state of reviews and CI checks. This lets you see at a glance whether your work is pending review, needs changes, or is ready to merge.

Seamless Branch Checkout

Handling feedback on your pull requests is also easier. When a maintainer requests changes, you can quickly switch to the correct pull request branch without needing to recall complex git syntax. Just use gh to check out the branch, make your updates, and push them up for another round of review.

Shaping the Beta

This initial release is just the beginning. GitHub is treating the beta as an opportunity to gather community input on which features are most valuable and where the tool feels clunky. Developers are encouraged to report issues or suggest improvements through the project's open source repository or a dedicated feedback form on cli.github.com.