Managing GitLab CLI Command Aliases (with examples)

GitLab CLI (glab) provides a command called alias that allows you to manage command aliases. This command allows you to create shortcuts for commonly used subcommands or even set shell commands as aliases for glab subcommands. In this article, we will explore how to use the glab alias command with code examples for different use cases.

Displaying the Subcommand Help

To display the help information for the alias subcommand, you can simply run glab alias. This will provide you with details on how to use the command and its available options.

Example:

$ glab alias

Listing All Aliases

To list all the aliases that glab is currently configured to use, you can execute the list subcommand. This will show you a table listing all the aliases along with their corresponding commands.

Example:

$ glab alias list

Creating a Subcommand Alias

You can create a glab subcommand alias to define a shortcut for frequently used commands. The set subcommand is used to create the alias, and you need to specify the alias name and the corresponding glab subcommand.

Example:

$ glab alias set mrv 'mr view'

In the above example, we are creating an alias named mrv for the mr view subcommand. So whenever we use mrv as a command, it will be interpreted as glab mr view.

Setting a Shell Command as a Subcommand Alias

Besides specifying a glab subcommand, you can also set a shell command as a glab subcommand alias. This is useful when you want to execute a specific shell command using a shorter alias.

Example:

$ glab alias set --shell ls 'git log --pretty=format:"%h %s" --abbrev-commit'

In the above example, we are creating an alias named ls for the shell command git log --pretty=format:"%h %s" --abbrev-commit. Now, whenever we run glab ls, it will execute the specified shell command.

Deleting a Command Shortcut

To delete an existing command shortcut, you can use the delete subcommand along with the alias name.

Example:

$ glab alias delete mrv

In the above example, we are deleting the alias mrv that we created earlier. Once deleted, using mrv as a command will no longer be interpreted as glab mr view.

By using the glab alias command, you can conveniently manage your GitLab CLI command aliases to customize your workflow and improve productivity. Whether it’s creating shortcuts for commonly used subcommands or setting shell commands as aliases, this command provides flexibility and efficiency in your GitLab workflow.

For more information and advanced usage of the glab alias command, you can refer to the official documentation: GitLab CLI Alias Documentation .