There are a lot of available clients for Git, some of these expose the internal Git design and architecture to the user, others hide the real Git power simplifying it for non-technical users.
In general, at least for programmers, it is a good thing to know how Git works, because it will allow us to take advantage of it. For that reason, most of the Git clients including a short-cut to Git command line tool.
Git command line tool
The original Git user interface is the command line tool. Since many of us are accustomed to using Visual Studio, it may intimidate, but, come on! we are hackers, right? It is a shame if we do not assume the challenge. What is more, Microsoft itself is taking that way with C# compiler (csc), Windows Azure Cross-Platform Command-Line Interface, TypeScript Compiler (tsc) and PowerShell.
It is possible to use Git command line tool with cmd.exe (discouraged) and also with bash in Linux,
Mac and also in Windows or you can use it with PowerShell. It is a nice PowerShell extension named
Posh-Git.
Git command line tool Pros
- Complete functionality
- Very quick when you know the commands
- No impedance with Git internal behaviour
Git command line tool Cons
- Need to remember the commands
- Difficult to see diffs and branches
Git Extensions
Git Extensions is a graphical user interface for Git that allows a complete Git control without using the command line. Optionally, on the installation process, it could install Git command line tool and Git bash.
Git Extensions Pros
- Complete Git functionality.
- Near to one to one relation with command line commands.
- Easy to remember commands because they have icons
- Nice view of diffs and branches.
Git Extensions Cons
- It is not so quick as command line.
- Difficult to understand if you do not want to understand Git internal behaviour.
Git Extensions Issues
- See the following link about issues.
Atlassian SourceTree
Atlassian SourceTree Pros
- It notifies you about pending pull (and quantity of commits) on remote repo, and respective details about them.
- It displays some big “buttons” to execute different commands on top bar and respective name for this commands (this is a good point for git beginners)
Visual Studio
GitHub for Windows
GitHub for Windows Pros
- Very useful and intuitive for non-technical users.
- It abstracts Git representations and commands.
- Very nice UI.
- Completely integrated with your GitHub account.
GitHub for Windows Cons
- It abstracts Git representations and commands.
- Incomplete Git functionality.
- Not so intuitive if you understand and like Git internal behaviour.
- It does not support remotes, only origin