Working Copy - Git client [iPad]

Access Git repositories on the go. Clone, edit, commit and push while allowing other apps access to repositories.

Git is a important part of our work-life and iOS can take part in this. The ability to commit even when offline has added utility on a device that moves in and out of network coverage. Cloning repositories gets you a local copy on your iOS device with commits for all branches. You can browse the content from within the app and make changes. Other applications supporting the Files app, WebDAV or x-callback-url has access to these files. Changes made can be committed and the commits can in turn be pushed back to the remote.

The idea of doing significant programming on iOS might seem far fetched when you are used to a large screen, a physical keyboard and a full IDE. But just as it turned out that not every email is serious prose, then not everything that goes on in Git is significant programming. Sometimes you just want to update a TODO file or make adjustments to your Jekyll site. Sometimes you just need to add a file the designer sent after hours.

If you ever make reminders about small things to do with the code-base, then you should give Working Copy a try. You will spend less time moving stuff around and you will get much better commit messages when you write them for fixes that are still fresh in your mind. You won't be leaving your computer behind any time soon, but sometimes it is faster to just fix things with the device in your hand.

When you do need to perform real work on iOS, Working Copy is a powerful tool. Editor has syntax highlighting for more than 50 programming languages and a built-in color picker. Preview images, Markdown and HTML files with a Javascript console pointing to errors in your code. Create new branches and merge or rebase them back, with a brilliant merge-tool for handling conflicts. If you need to automate your work there are Working Copy actions in the Shortcuts app for most operations.

Even if you never edit a line of code on iOS, Working Copy is a great companion for reviewing and discussing code. Repositories are cross indexed and with powerful fuzzy search you can quickly jump from a symbol to the declaration or reverse from the declaration to all usages. A graph of your commits lets you zoom out for a overview of the commit tree or zoom in for specifics about each commit, with speed and beauty you won’t find in desktop Git applications. Review the changes your files have gone through with a diff viewer that is great for text and images. There is even hex-dump mode for that obscure occasion.

Working Copy is a free download but you need to unlock pro features such as the ability to push commits and manage more than 5 repositories. There is no venture capital, large company or ads funding development and your support through in-app purchase directly sustains development.

When you pay to unlock you get permanent access to all pro features at the time of purchase as well as any added the next year. When 12 months have passed you keep all existing pro features but any new ones introduced are locked until you renew your unlock.