LazyGit Workflow and Integration

Overview

This lecture introduces LazyGit, a simple and user-friendly terminal interface for Git. It covers installation, key features, navigation, and demonstrates how to integrate LazyGit with Neovim for a more efficient development workflow.

Installation & Setup

• Install LazyGit:
  • On Mac, use Homebrew for installation:

    brew install lazygit
    

    • For the latest version, check the official LazyGit repository for recommended installation steps.
  • On Linux or Windows, follow the installation instructions in the official repository for your operating system.
• Verify Installation:

  lazygit --version
  

  • This command checks if LazyGit is installed correctly.
• Launching LazyGit:
  • Navigate to your Git repository in the terminal:

    cd path/to/your/repo
    

  • Start LazyGit:

    lazygit
    

LazyGit Interface & Navigation

• UI Layout:
  • The interface is divided into numbered panes (e.g., files, branches, commits).
  • Switch between panes using:
    • Number keys (e.g., 2 for files, 4 for commits)
    • Tab to move forward, Shift+Tab to move backward
• Within Panes:
  • Move up/down using arrow keys or j/k (Vim-style).
  • Cycle through tabs in a pane with ] (next) and [ (previous).
• Preview Changes:
  • The right panel shows diffs for selected files.
  • Scroll diffs with Page Up/Page Down or your mouse.
• Exit LazyGit:
  • Press Ctrl+C to quit.

Staging & Committing Changes

• Detecting Changes:
  • Modified files are marked with an M.
  • Example: After editing a file and saving changes, reopen LazyGit to see the modification.
• Staging Files:
  • Select a file and press Space to stage or unstage it.
  • Stage all changes at once with a.
  • Example:

    # Stage a single file
    [select file] → Space
    
    # Stage all files
    a
    

• Staging Hunks:
  • Press Enter on a file to open a split view of changes.
  • Use arrow keys or j/k to select a hunk, then press Space to stage/unstage.
  • To unstage, move to the staged side with Tab and press Space.
• Committing:
  • After staging, press C to start a commit.
  • Enter a commit message, press Tab to add a description, then Enter to confirm.
  • Example:

    C
    [Type commit message]
    Tab
    [Type description]
    Tab
    Enter
    

Branching & Merging

• Viewing and Switching Branches:
  • Go to pane 3 (branches) by pressing 3.
  • The current branch is marked with *.
  • Use j/k or arrow keys to select a branch, then Space to switch.
• Creating a New Branch:
  • Press n, type the new branch name, and press Enter.
  • Example:

    n
    example-feature-branch
    Enter
    

• Merging Branches:
  • In the branch pane, select the branch to merge into the current one.
  • Press Shift+M (capital M) and Enter to merge.
• Resolving Merge Conflicts:
  • If a conflict occurs, press Enter on the conflicted file.
  • Use j/k to navigate hunks, Space to select the desired hunk, or B to pick all hunks.
  • After resolving, press Enter to finish.
  • Example:

    [On conflicted file] → Enter
    [Select hunk] → Space
    Enter
    

Remote Operations

• Pushing Changes:
  • Press ? to open key bindings, then search for "push" with /.
  • Use P (Shift+P) to push commits to the remote repository.
  • Example:

    P
    

• Viewing Commits:
  • Go to pane 4 (commits) by pressing 4.
  • Select a commit and press Enter to view its details and changed files.
  • Press Escape to return.

Navigation Shortcuts & Search

• Key Bindings:
  • Press ? to view all available shortcuts for the current pane.
• Filtering:
  • Use / to filter key bindings, branches, or commits.
  • Example: /stage to find staging shortcuts.
• Exiting Modes:
  • Press Escape to exit search or filter modes.

Integration with Neovim

• Adding LazyGit Plugin:
  • In your Neovim config (e.g., ~/.config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua), add:

    use {
      'kdheepak/lazygit.nvim',
      requires = { 'nvim-lua/plenary.nvim' }
    }
    

• Key Mapping:
  • Register a key mapping to open LazyGit, for example:

    vim.api.nvim_set_keymap('n', '<leader>lg', ':LazyGit<CR>', { noremap = true, silent = true })
    

    • <leader> is usually mapped to Space, so Space+lg opens LazyGit.
• Using LazyGit in Neovim:
  • Open Neovim in your project directory.
  • Press your mapped key (e.g., Space+lg) to launch LazyGit inside Neovim.
  • Close LazyGit with q or Ctrl+C.

Key Terms & Definitions

• LazyGit — A terminal UI for Git that simplifies version control tasks.
• Pane — A section of the LazyGit interface (e.g., files, branches, commits).
• Staging — Selecting changes to include in the next commit.
• Hunk — A contiguous block of changed lines in a file.
• Merge Conflict — When changes in two branches overlap and must be resolved manually.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Install LazyGit using the instructions for your operating system.
• Practice navigating the UI, staging files and hunks, committing, and merging branches.
• Integrate LazyGit into Neovim by updating your configuration and adding the plugin.
• Use ? and / frequently to discover shortcuts and filter actions.
• Experiment with resolving merge conflicts and pushing changes to remote repositories.