The only Git tools that you’ve used so far have been the command-line and GUI tools that come with the standard distribution of Git. Let’s consider these the Git native tools. In this chapter, you’ll explore two third-party tools that can serve as supplements or even replacements for these native Git tools. These are Atlassian’s SourceTree and the Git integration that comes with the Eclipse IDE.
I selected these two tools based on my familiarity but also their cost: both tools are free. SourceTree’s singular focus on Git makes it similar to GitHub for Windows and Tower for Mac. Eclipse is popular, and its functionality is representative of other IDEs such as IntelliJ IDEA and NetBeans.
This chapter appears near the end of the book because it’s important to form a good understanding of Git from the point of view of its stock installation and its native tools. Now that you’ve used the Git native tools over the past several lunches, you’ll have a better understanding for the underlying Git functionality as supported by these third-party tools. But at this point, it’s time to learn about the larger Git ecosystem.
One last note about this chapter: you’ll be downloading software (in sections 19.1.1 and 19.2.1), which may take some time. Plan accordingly; this chapter may take longer than a typical lunch. Consider doing the downloads earlier!