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by masklinn 5086 days ago
> I was hoping to be able to view source code nicely on my mobile device

That would probably be bloody hard though, making code readable on a mobile device. Also of limited use, if you can't edit it.

I could see it useful to e.g. read & review pull requests on the move, but there really isn't much you can do with just a phone's surface.

And if you have accessories, why not carry a small laptop you can tether to your phone?

7 comments

A combination (on Android) of aGit, the patched Connectbot (for sshagent key handling) and Terminal IDE (better editing options than connectbot) would work. Maybe install the Hacker Keyboard app too (nicer layout for onscreen keyboard).

aGit currently does not support push and commit, but I believe that is in the works.

I've used this setup on my Transformer Prime. My G2 phone is, of course, smaller, but I have used that to shell into my server and edit config files to fix a problem, so reading and editing code on a mobile device is certainly doable.

A 7" screen device such as the Nexus 7 might a nice balance though I have physical keyboards for my phone and tablet, which I really like.

I have done some editing using the on-screen keyboard on the TF201, not the end of the world, just not as nice as a more conventional keyboard. The constant toggling to get to special keys is tedious.

Depends upon the mobile device.

I know the Asus Transformer I have is fairly niche for a tablet and thus few developers are likely to target for its feature-set, but it would be fantastic at reading or even writing code, with proper app support.

I disagree with the fact that it would be of limited use if you can't edit it. One of GitHub's greatest features for me is how easy it is to browse other people's code (e.g., compared to Google Code or SourceForge). I learn a huge amount from browsing others' code. I would really enjoy a mobile app that would allow me to easily browse and view code in Github.
I don't think of read-only as limiting. As a senior engineer on my team, I often want to glance though commits to make sure the new kids aren't making an egregious errors (we do code review as well, but being able to see diffs on my phone would be extremely useful).
I don't think it would be unusable at all, with the average tablet.
Is the app even optimized for tablets?
It is not available for any of my tablets. (Notionink Adam, Transformer Prime and lg slate)
Many of us are already reading code on our mobile devices.
It would be bloody hard, but I would love to see someone do it. Even if it is just reading code, that would be a huge boost. I could browse interesting repos on the bus/train ride home and check out the code to see if it is something I am really interested in, then I know what to hack when I get home. The ability to read and review pull requests would also be a good feature to add.