Comparing to SmartGit

Question

Hi There,

We are reviewing Sourcetree and SmartGit in terms of this benefit :

-    Give developers the ability to work concurrently on files (in branches that may or may not converge)

-    To merge changes with other developers’ changes

-    To track and audit changes that were requested and made

-    To track bug-fix status and to perform releases

Can you give us a perspective how's sourcetree position against SmartGit ?

Thanks.

James Rogers · Answer

If you want Stash integration, you'll want to use SourceTree.

Otherwise, it will be your preference.

SourceTree does Stash, Bitbucket, Github integration

SmartGit does Github, Bitbucket, Beanstalk, CodeBase, Assembla, Unfuddle integration

If you don't use any of these, then it's really your preference.

Seth · Answer

Your first three benefits are all satisfied by the technology underneath the UIs you are asking about: Git. Git allows developers to work concurrently on files in the same branch or different branches. Git merges branches. Git maintains a full history of commits.

Tracking a bug's status can't be done completely inside Git (or with either UI). You'll need to use a separate tool that may offer at least some integration with Git, or you can just implement a workflow that will allow you to infer bug-fix status from branch names, tags, and/or commit messages.

Performing releases will also need to be done manually, or using another tool. You can use Git to push to remotes, but I don't think that will affect the remote's working copy.

Learn more about what Git can do by reading the Git book: git-scm.com/book/en/v2

The main differences between the UIs will be how easy they make some of the more complicated git tasks. Try out things like viewing the commit history graph, branch management, viewing diffs, and merging. Also consider price. SourceTree is free for any use, SmartGit is not. Type of UI is also a factor. SourceTree operates completely in its own Window. TortoiseGit closely integrates with the context menu (right-click) in your file browser. SmartGit may do both? What about host? SourceTree offers extra features if your project is hosted in GitHub, Bitbucket, or Stash. SmartGit offers something similar for GitHub.

Also keep in mind that there is no reason you can't mix and match. Download both programs (SmartGit trial, obviously), and run them side-by-side, or on different machines. Make your decision based on the experience you and your team have with the software.