How do I get the file tree back?

[Kaveh Vaghefi]

Sourcetree 1.9.x completely changed the file selection UI. How do I get the tree back? There no longer seems to be an option to display files within their directories in a tree.

[Roy Leban · Accepted solution]

I have added a number of Jira requests for the issues. Please vote up the ones you care about:

Changes are staged automatically after upgrading to 1.9
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2255

Bring back filename view
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2257

Restore Amend Commit checkbox
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2258

Fix scrolling for staging area
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2259

Move commit message history button to the top
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2260

Hunks all run together in 1.9 diff view
https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2261

[Adrian von Gegerfelt]

If only I could log in to vote :(

[alex hunsley]

I agree with most above: new UI feels like a step backwards, not forwards. No staged files view?!

[Kaveh Vaghefi]

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2232 Vote up that issue.

[Adrian von Gegerfelt]

I can't log in to vote :(

[mlevison]

Jira declares an error when I try to login :-)

[spiewok]

Downgrading to 1.8.1. Horrible update:

- TreeView is missing.

- No staging area.

- Updating the window (pending files) takes way too long (nearly 2 mins here to catch up with the changes in the file!)!

- UI is taking to much space anyway.

[milky_la]

+ 1 I dont undertand this chage: tree view is probably the main reason I would use SourceTree at all...

[rzero]

I've used SourceTree for a few years and have never used the tree view. It's the REST of the new UI that I have a problem with...

[Peter Chermie]

Some horrible changes in this update indeed. No column view in the file lists is deffinitely the worst of all. I think I'll downgrade to 1.8.1 for now :(

Why would you touch the basic UI functionalities while they work really well and people love them? Haven't you learnt anything from Microsoft's Metro interface? ;) Don't innovate just for the sake of the innovation.

I hope these issues will be fixed soon.

[Fernando Mazzon]

I didn't last 10 minutes with 1.9.1... Here's the old version for those who agree the new UI has no purpose in life:

http://downloads.atlassian.com/software/sourcetree/SourceTree_1.8.1.dmg

(I couldn't find the windows version but it should be around there)

[Stephan Tual]

Worst GUI update ever. Very hard to understand what's going on, tree view gone, things seem to auto-stage when you press select checkboxes, it's maddening. Why oh why

[Seth]

This is not an answer. Please vote up the issues that you would like to see changed using the links in the accepted answers.

[Georges Berenger]

OK, after 1h of searching through all the menu options, I found it by looking at a screenshot of the new version...

The top of the panel that shows the commit details can be pulled down to reveal the files. For some reason, this section was pulled-up all the way, making it impossible to see and extremely hard to discover, but now that I've pulled it down, I can't pull it back up all the way.

You can see it the files in this view: http://sourcetreeapp.com/images/sourcetree-hero-mac-log.png

[Philipp Ringler]

Yeah, but that's still only flat view, it doesn't show tree or column view!

[Kaveh Vaghefi]

Agree. What happened to tree and column view? Those were super useful. This really is more like a UI regression.

[Georges Berenger]

I agree, this new view is pure BS. At least, I can see the files.

Thanks for the pointer to v1.8.1, I'll go back to this version right away!

[Georges Berenger]

To be clear, when I first launched 1.9, the entire file panel was simply invisible (no even a hint of where it was). I just could not see *any* file or where that panel was. It was the only panel I could see in 1.8.1, as the revision details panel was invible in 1.8.1, and I had to grab the top of the only view there was in 1.9, the revision details view, to make the file panel appear at all. Now that I'm happily back in 1.8.1, I can see both the files & the revision details panel, which I never saw before!

Which doesn't mean that now that I can see my files, all my problems are gone. I pretty much agree that all these UI changes are regressions, a share of which are dealbreakers (separate staging section, tree view, maybe more).

[Rob Maxwell]

Similar thing happened with me, but i noticed i could expand the missing panel slightly (seems randomly, like there's something preventing my drag and drop). Ultimately, I can't give 1.9 a fair shot right now, since my paths seem to be longer than normal, and most of the files listen in the panel look like this:

..asViewHelper.java

[Yuri Noyanov]

Unfortunatly, I have to revert to 1.8.1 too. Working without treeview is too dificullt and dangerous for me. Looking forward to return it in a next release.

[stevestreeting]

(corss-posted from the blog)

Rather than reply to every comment here I thought I'd respond here at the top level. Firstly, apologies to people who don't like the changes in this update. We always knew it might be controversial with some people, although we genuinely felt that after doing user tests and using it ourselves internally for many weeks that after an adjustment period, it felt better. I hope you give it some time, try the alternate approaches, but if you still feel strongly, the previous version is still available here:http://downloads.atlassian.com...

We're making some small refinements and fixes for 1.9.1, and we'll be reviewing all the feedback for future updates. Changes to a core UI component which hasn't altered much in over 2 years is always going to be tough, but there were definitely things to address when it came to new users (particularly those new to git). We thought we'd got the balance right between making it easier for new users while retaining the preferences of more advanced users - which includes us! - but your feedback is useful in gauging the success of that in the 'real world' of course. Thanks for your feedback, and for your patience; we all want to make SourceTree the best tool for everyone.

[Adrian von Gegerfelt]

Like the comment on this issue (https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/SRCTREE-2267), I'd say that these changes wouldn't make it easier for a new user either.

We are five users here in my office, and we are all very disappointed with the new working copy and commit windows. You can't even select multiple files.

[Seth]

The blog Steve posted states that you can select multiple files (try Cmd+Click and Shift+Click), then press the space bar to check (or uncheck) them all.

[Adrian von Gegerfelt]

Thanks, that does work, and it's incredibly bad GUI design! How should I have known?

[George Cook]

I honestly find it a horrible step back. Having separate scrolling lists/tree view for stage/modified files was a great workflow.

Sometimes I have huge commits (I'm a unity devleoper, so import packages with hundreds of files).

Not being able to have a tree view just kills it, the same as not being able to see what's being staged.

Considering the old view is working really well, and has use cases for many users (there's quite a few voices here and on Jira), would it really hurt you guys to have an option for both?

It might be we can come to terms with the new view also if it at least had a tree view? (though I personally struggle with it regardless - it hangs, it's buggy, it's not really doing the things I want.. it's just a pita to be honest).

[Alex Colburn]

What alternative tools are people exploring?

[George Cook]

Github for mac is an obvious option. I'll stick with my 1.8.1 for now; and if this change seems permanent with no means of viewing tree/separate scrolling for stages/changed then as an iOS and Unity3d developer I'll have no choice but to try out github for mac...

EDIT: I just tried out 10.8.1.. like ice water in a desert... (phew)

[Chris Graham]

OMG, I used to love this tool, now I hate it. How can an update go so bad, so quickly?

[Alexis Cedeno]

Actual options, not tree view present

old.png

Older version , tree view present.

current.png

There are a lot of people in the forum experimenting the same issue.

I really appreciate is there a way to have the tree view back.

[Martín Currao]

Years later, they update the Windows version. New horrible UI. And no tree view. The only two functions I really used from SourceTree were the treeView and the Branches graphical Log / History (you should remove that too, Atlassian, that would be another great move). 

And they left the Switch View icon, but with no options but the default, like saying "Look, here you could do things before". 

SourceTree 1.8.1

Enhancements

• Atlassian account: Use existing Atlassian credentials to login to SourceTree or create a new account here.
• Git LFS: Automatically install LFS tools, initialize LFS for repositories, and modify what file types to track
• UI Updates: Icon refresh, and streamlined toolbar
• Performance updates:
• Improved rendering of the diff view
• Deprecated Fluid Staging view in the file status view
• Deprecated Tree File Listing in File Status and Log Views
• Refactored code base to allow for separation of services within the application

I still don't get how removing Tree File Listing counts as an enhancement...

[daniele-niero]

after moths of pushing to have it on windows too... unbelivable

[Alexis Cedeno]

Daniele Niero,

Christian Tismer explained exactly the issue that we are facing not having a Tree View. We use it a lot, specially when me make a release to production.

Below you can find graphically what exactly the issue is.

No Tree view Present

Tree view Present (Last version)

current.png

No Tree view Present (Current Version)

old.png

[daniele-niero]

@Christian Tismer Tree view was introduced in windows with version 1.6.something if I'm not wrong, more or less a year ago after 2 years of pushing and then it was removed again with the new update everybody is complaining about (for windows is version 1.8)

People are really mad about it especially because it took, as I said, more than 2 years to convince Atlassian to add that, frankly mandatory, feature. So I assume this is why Alexis ended up here.

I will double check names next time, sorry about that.

[ctismer]

@Daniele Niero

That may be, but the windows UI never had the tree view.

This complaint was about a changed UI that removed the tree view from OS X, around end of 2014.

And you should better cite names correctly, it is not that hard 

[daniele-niero]

Christian Timser  The issue is still present on Windows along with an even worse UI. The windows version has always been much worse than the Mac one.

[ctismer]

@Alexis Cedeno

What exactly are you talking about?

This issue has been resolved long time ago, and the current ST 2.2.4 definitely has a good tree view.

[Alexis Cedeno]

Please provide ASAP a hot-fix or a new version with the "TreeView" view

[Chris Graham]

File tree view is back in there, look for the icon with a bunch of lines, above the staged files pane, then select the tree tree view. The big difference is the amount of white space in each of the tree views, I think it is way too much, and need to be tightened up.

[KAZ Vorpal]

I hate not having a file tree. I'm dealing with it because the client's using SourceTree and I want to be compatible, but I'm often the decision-maker if I'm coming in to a new project, and I'd never choose SourceTree, or any other similar tool, without a file tree. It's absurd. Is there some wonky tech theory that people shouldn't use file trees for source control, or something?

[David Deharbe]

I concur with the reactions. I am reverting back to 1.8.1. And so should the master branch of Sourcetree for OS X.

[Seth]

You're a little late here. It has been restored in 1.9.3:

http://blog.sourcetreeapp.com/2014/05/30/sourcetree-for-mac-1-9-3-new-view-options-based-on-your-feedback/

[David Deharbe]

I maybe late, but the changes that were made do not result in a user experience as smooth as that of version 1.8.1.

[Martin Fredriksson]

I completely agree with @David Deharbe. The new version, which is actually 1.9.4, is still pretty bad. I'm using 1.8.1, which is a very nice application, and will do so until it stops working. I have given up on 1.9.x, since Atlassian Source Tree team doesn't do software development in a way that I can accept. Too bad, but there is a time for everything...

[Seth]

Looking at this from a software developer's perspective, "Not...as smooth" and "still pretty bad" contains no constructive criticism on what could be changed. You guys all whined about the tree view being gone. Now it's there. If it isn't what you want, you'll need to be more specific, and hope that someone with Atlassian is still digging through the pages of redundant complaints on this question.

[David Deharbe]

My first constructive advice can be found in my initial past: revert to 1.8.1...

For instance staging interactively a bunch of modifications in a bunch of files was rather smooth in 1.8.1 (could be improved by auto-selecting the next changed file). Since 1.9.x, the number of clicks necessary to do the same kind of operations has multiplied and became extremely tedious...

This said, from an outer perspective, this gives the impression that the Atlassian process does not study how the users interact with their software - and ask their users to explained how the design modifications ruined their experience.

[Seth]

I do not work for Atlassian, but do my best to help users on this forum get useful answers to their issues.

If you really disagree with every difference between 1.8.1 and 1.9.4.1, then by all means cling to 1.8.1. If your problem is with some of the changes, then identify which of those changes are problematic. It is arrogant to assume that every user is just like you and that a change that you don't like is a result of ignorance of how the software is used.

As for interactive staging, my impression is that the workload is similar. Old way: use CMD or SHIFT with clicks to select a group of files, then click a button to stage them. New way: CMD or SHIFT with clicks to select a group of files, then hit Space to stage them.

[rzero]

The opinion online seems to be more or less 100% against the radical changes made in 1.9.x. Nobody seems to be sticking up for the new design at all, except for the nice folks over at Atlassian, and you apparently. Could just be a vocal minority, but that seems doubtful given many of the objectively (from a fundamental UI/UX perspective) bad design decisions that were made.

This seems to be supported by the SourceForge team's own decisions to revert to the old UI design in several areas, citing user discontent.

Given the time and effort required to retrain my entire team on the usage and pitfalls of the new 1.9.x design, I'm left with the decision to "cling to 1.8.1" (which I am doing wholeheartedly since it is such a superior product) or use that time and effort to research alternative solutions (which makes me sad, since SourceForge was generally such a great product until now).

It's been fascinating to see this play out on the forums. I don't think I will ever fathom how it was decided to go down this path, or what the perceived benefit to anyone was.

[Seth]

I'm not standing up for the changes (which I am not even familiar with - being a Windows user), but merely trying to turn this into a productive conversation.

This site (answers.atlassian.com) is a community of usersof SourceTree. The changes that have been made so far (which are apparently insufficient) have come about through bug reports and feature requests on jira.atlassian.com. Atlassian staff is very upfront about the fact that they cannot and do not monitor all questions and answers on this site.

In any case, the top voted answer on the question is a prime example of constructive criticism, and half of those issues have been addressed to some degree since it and the linked bug reports were posted.

[Martin Fredriksson]

@Seth: you seem to completely miss the point of the argument against the mishandling of SourceTree in version 1.9.x, which is made even more clear when you think that they actually fixed the problems introduced in 1.9 (they didn't). My guess is that it is because you have no idea what we're talking about since you don't use the software we're discussing (Mac version). Your ignorance is not at all helping to turn this into a productive discussion, so my advice is that you discuss issues you have experience with instead.

[Seth]

I get the impression that they fixed some issues. I am willing to acknowledge that without any first-person experience, I may be completely incorrect.

Assuming I am completely incorrect, my point that complaints would be more productive as bug reports is still valid.

Clearly my opinions are not welcome in this conversation, so I'll respectfully conclude. Good luck to you all!

[ctismer]

@Seth: I am using ST both on Windows and Mac, and if I compare 1.8.1/1.9.x on Windows, then I can see your point.

I think many of the Mac users are thinking of the triple of

- Flat View, Tree View, Column View

when talking about the "tree view". Flipping between the three, and especially the column view that did never exist on windows, is missing very much in Mac ST 1.9.x.

I would really appreciate if that column view would be implemented for Windows, or at least not be removed from the Mac version. Windows users may not know and value this, but Mac users love it very much as a typical OS/X feature.

[Seth]

It worked. http://blog.sourcetreeapp.com/2014/05/30/sourcetree-for-mac-1-9-3-new-view-options-based-on-your-feedback/

[Hubert Ott]

Yes, please bring back the TREE VIEW!

If anything it added the ability to selectively traverse the file structure, if you ever found yourself with 100's of files to commit. Its almost impossible to effectively deal with more than 50-100 file changes across a directory strucutre.

[ctismer]

Same here.

Changing a good IDE to the common denominator was a very bad idea.

The tree view was most missing on Windows, and I switch often to my Mac just to have that.

Now I reverted to 1.8.1, hoping for a better update, or maybe looking for a new Application.