Working Seamlessly with GitLab (with examples)

GitLab is a powerful version control system that allows developers to collaborate on projects efficiently. One way to interact with GitLab is through the command-line interface using the glab command. In this article, we will explore different use cases of the glab command and provide code examples for each use case.

Use Case 1: Clone a GitLab repository locally

glab repo clone owner/repository

Motivation: Cloning a GitLab repository locally allows developers to have a local copy of the project, enabling them to make changes, experiment, and contribute to the codebase.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• repo clone: The specific subcommand to clone a repository.
• owner/repository: The owner and repository name of the GitLab repository you want to clone. For example, exampleuser/my-repo represents the repository my-repo owned by exampleuser.

Example output:

Cloning into 'my-repo'...
remote: Enumerating objects: 100, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (100/100), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (80/80), done.
Receiving objects: 100% (100/100), 10.00 KiB | 5.00 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (20/20), done.

Use Case 2: Create a new issue

glab issue create

Motivation: Creating an issue allows developers to track and manage tasks, bugs, or feature requests in a GitLab repository.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• issue create: The specific subcommand to create a new issue. This will prompt the user to enter details such as the title and description of the issue.

Example output:

Title: Fix login page layout
Description: The login page layout appears broken on mobile devices. Need to adjust the CSS to make it responsive.
Issue created successfully. Issue number: 123

Use Case 3: View and filter the open issues of the current repository

glab issue list

Motivation: Viewing and filtering open issues helps developers gain an overview of the current tasks and prioritize their work accordingly.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• issue list: The specific subcommand to list all open issues in the current repository. This command provides various filtering options such as labeling, milestone, assignee, and more.

Example output:

Showing open issues for repository 'my-repo':

- #123: Fix login page layout
- #124: Add user authentication feature
- #125: Improve error handling on form submission

Use Case 4: View an issue in the default browser

glab issue view --web issue_number

Motivation: Viewing an issue in the default browser allows developers to access additional details, discussions, and comments associated with the issue.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• issue view: The specific subcommand to view an issue.
• --web issue_number: The --web flag indicates that the issue should be opened in the default browser. issue_number represents the specific issue you want to view.

Example output:

Opening issue #123 in the default web browser...

Use Case 5: Create a merge request

glab mr create

Motivation: Creating a merge request allows developers to propose changes to the codebase and collaborate with others through code review and discussion.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• mr create: The specific subcommand to create a new merge request. This command prompts the user to specify the source and target branches, title, and description.

Example output:

Source branch: feature/new-feature
Target branch: main
Title: Implement new feature
Description: This merge request adds a new feature to the project. Please review and provide feedback.
Merge request created successfully. MR number: 456

Use Case 6: View a pull request in the default web browser

glab mr view --web pr_number

Motivation: Viewing a pull request in the default web browser allows developers to access additional details, code changes, discussion, and comments associated with the pull request.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• mr view: The specific subcommand to view a pull request.
• --web pr_number: The --web flag indicates that the pull request should be opened in the default browser. pr_number represents the specific pull request you want to view.

Example output:

Opening pull request #456 in the default web browser...

Use Case 7: Check out a specific pull request locally

glab mr checkout pr_number

Motivation: Checking out a specific pull request locally allows developers to review and test the changes made in the pull request directly on their local machine.

Explanation:

• glab: The command to interact with GitLab using the glab command-line tool.
• mr checkout: The specific subcommand to check out a specific pull request locally.
• pr_number: The number of the pull request you want to check out.

Example output:

Checking out pull request #456 locally...

These different use cases of the glab command demonstrate how to work seamlessly with GitLab using the command-line interface. Whether it’s cloning a repository, creating issues or merge requests, or viewing and checking out pull requests, the glab command provides developers with a convenient way to interact with GitLab and collaborate effectively on their projects.