5 ms·

Github's new look: The Code Tab

127 points by latch 15y ago

latch 15y ago
I like it. But... The download button is a step backwards. First, I had to search (cmd-f) to find it. There's plenty of room under "stats & graph" for a more distinct button. Secondly, the tab it brings you to makes it look like there's nothing to download. Look at: https://github.com/mongodb/mongo/downloads https://github.com/mongodb/mongo/downloads The text makes it seem like an error almost..then I saw the buttons.
- kenneth_reitz 15y ago
  Note the new ZIP button next to the Git URLs.
  - gurkendoktor 15y ago
    The link placement is still a step backwards when there are actual files uploaded, e.g. binary builds. And I would argue that the new ZIP button doesn't make it easier for newcomers to find those ZIP builds. I wish there was a way to make downloads really obvious for those projects that rely on them, this is still something I miss from Google Code.
- xbryanx 15y ago
  I'm happy they obscured it. I always thought it was weird that it was so prominent. For most coders, using github to code (not visitors or downloaders), this big download button was visual cruft. If your primary goal is to make downloading a zipped copy of your application easy, then sending your visitors/downloaders to a GitHub project page is probably not the best solution.
MatthewB 15y ago
I really like it. As a github newbie I think the new nav bar layout is much cleaner, especially the commits/branches section. Well done.
overshard 15y ago
The new nav bar seems out of place with the rest of the design. This might just be me, since I've used GitHub for a few years now, and I'll get used to it but maybe this is leading to more changes in the future. I, for one, welcome our new cleaner design overlords.
- alanh 15y ago
  No, I’m completely with you. I’m hoping for greater consistency soon, e.g., no more blue-on-hover buttons.
xbryanx 15y ago
Really happy that they've made branch switching easier. It was a pain in the previous version.
jsavimbi 15y ago
As much of a fan of Github that I am, their UX has always been confusing and now that added yet another layer of complex navigation to the page. They now have a total of seven horizontal navigation areas of which some are mixed in with actionable items, along with the independent actionable items spread within the navigation layers and content: 1. User Nav 2. Github nav and search 3. Breadcrumbs and forking action/info 4. The new code navigation bar 5. Files/Commits/branches nav 6. Main footer 7. Informational footer All of that in addition to the actual project content blocks, message display and project byline. imo, they could benefit from cutting back from all navigation that is not pertinent to the project, merge the Github nav with the main and informational footers, consolidate actionable items and non-code content (that new embedded message bar) and lose some of the cruft. Yes, it's a tool for engineers, but it's also a platform for learning and many people don't really need every single url/action in the Github universe manifested on every single project page.
- Fluxx 15y ago
  7 layers of nav is okay if it all makes sense, has good IA and doesn't get in the way of what you do most of the time. Gmail is a good example of this. There is navigation all over the place but what is front and center and most important is your mail - and that's a good thing. I think the issue that Github has right now is that all their navigation, while useful, pushes the thing I care about most of the time (the source code) nearly 1/2 way down the page. Do I really need to see the git clone URL all day every day? How about the pull request button? Probably not.
- davidcann 15y ago
  Perhaps something like this: http://davidcann.com/github-edited.png http://davidcann.com/github-edited.png
  - middus 15y ago
    I really like this proposal -- all the interactions with the repository in one place.
- kneath 15y ago
grandalf 15y ago
Looks awesome! Does the "open in mac" button show up even if you don't have gh for mac installed?
- telemachos 15y ago
  I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but here's what I've found: If you install GH for Mac on any machine, the "Clone in Mac" button shows up afterwards on all machines, no matter where you login from. So in that sense, you can see the button, even if you don't locally have the app installed. (I actually just sent a support request to see if this could change.)
sunchild 15y ago
Has that "Search source code..." input always been there? I sure needed it in the past, and somehow never saw it until now.
- gabebw 15y ago
  I assume you're basing this off the screenshot. The "Search source code" input is only available in private repos. Since kneath/resque is a public repo, apparently one benefit of working at Github is getting that input on all repos, whether public or private.
- vijaydev 15y ago
  Where is this?
gyardley 15y ago
Maybe I'm getting old, but could the numbers in that new nav bar be any smaller? I used to be able to tell how many open issues there were without squinting.
BillSaysThis 15y ago
Where is the 'search this repo' button/field?

127 points by latch 15y ago

latch 15y ago

I like it. But... The download button is a step backwards. First, I had to search (cmd-f) to find it. There's plenty of room under "stats & graph" for a more distinct button. Secondly, the tab it brings you to makes it look like there's nothing to download. Look at: https://github.com/mongodb/mongo/downloads https://github.com/mongodb/mongo/downloads The text makes it seem like an error almost..then I saw the buttons.

kenneth_reitz 15y ago
Note the new ZIP button next to the Git URLs.
- gurkendoktor 15y ago
  The link placement is still a step backwards when there are actual files uploaded, e.g. binary builds. And I would argue that the new ZIP button doesn't make it easier for newcomers to find those ZIP builds. I wish there was a way to make downloads really obvious for those projects that rely on them, this is still something I miss from Google Code.
xbryanx 15y ago
I'm happy they obscured it. I always thought it was weird that it was so prominent. For most coders, using github to code (not visitors or downloaders), this big download button was visual cruft. If your primary goal is to make downloading a zipped copy of your application easy, then sending your visitors/downloaders to a GitHub project page is probably not the best solution.

MatthewB 15y ago

I really like it. As a github newbie I think the new nav bar layout is much cleaner, especially the commits/branches section. Well done.

overshard 15y ago

The new nav bar seems out of place with the rest of the design. This might just be me, since I've used GitHub for a few years now, and I'll get used to it but maybe this is leading to more changes in the future. I, for one, welcome our new cleaner design overlords.

alanh 15y ago
No, I’m completely with you. I’m hoping for greater consistency soon, e.g., no more blue-on-hover buttons.

xbryanx 15y ago

Really happy that they've made branch switching easier. It was a pain in the previous version.

jsavimbi 15y ago

As much of a fan of Github that I am, their UX has always been confusing and now that added yet another layer of complex navigation to the page. They now have a total of seven horizontal navigation areas of which some are mixed in with actionable items, along with the independent actionable items spread within the navigation layers and content: 1. User Nav 2. Github nav and search 3. Breadcrumbs and forking action/info 4. The new code navigation bar 5. Files/Commits/branches nav 6. Main footer 7. Informational footer All of that in addition to the actual project content blocks, message display and project byline. imo, they could benefit from cutting back from all navigation that is not pertinent to the project, merge the Github nav with the main and informational footers, consolidate actionable items and non-code content (that new embedded message bar) and lose some of the cruft. Yes, it's a tool for engineers, but it's also a platform for learning and many people don't really need every single url/action in the Github universe manifested on every single project page.

Fluxx 15y ago
7 layers of nav is okay if it all makes sense, has good IA and doesn't get in the way of what you do most of the time. Gmail is a good example of this. There is navigation all over the place but what is front and center and most important is your mail - and that's a good thing. I think the issue that Github has right now is that all their navigation, while useful, pushes the thing I care about most of the time (the source code) nearly 1/2 way down the page. Do I really need to see the git clone URL all day every day? How about the pull request button? Probably not.
davidcann 15y ago
Perhaps something like this: http://davidcann.com/github-edited.png http://davidcann.com/github-edited.png
- middus 15y ago
  I really like this proposal -- all the interactions with the repository in one place.
kneath 15y ago

grandalf 15y ago

Looks awesome! Does the "open in mac" button show up even if you don't have gh for mac installed?

telemachos 15y ago
I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but here's what I've found: If you install GH for Mac on any machine, the "Clone in Mac" button shows up afterwards on all machines, no matter where you login from. So in that sense, you can see the button, even if you don't locally have the app installed. (I actually just sent a support request to see if this could change.)

sunchild 15y ago

Has that "Search source code..." input always been there? I sure needed it in the past, and somehow never saw it until now.

gabebw 15y ago
I assume you're basing this off the screenshot. The "Search source code" input is only available in private repos. Since kneath/resque is a public repo, apparently one benefit of working at Github is getting that input on all repos, whether public or private.
vijaydev 15y ago
Where is this?

gyardley 15y ago

Maybe I'm getting old, but could the numbers in that new nav bar be any smaller? I used to be able to tell how many open issues there were without squinting.

BillSaysThis 15y ago

Where is the 'search this repo' button/field?