Quick Actions is Tower's version of the Command Palette. This feature has received praise from our users since its inception, so we thought it was high time we wrote an article covering everything you can achieve with it (spoiler: it's a lot)! ☺️ We will also share the origin story of this feature and discuss some of the challenges we encountered along the way. If you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, chances are you are looking for new ways to become as productive as possible – and few improvements are as significant as mastering the keyboard. This is why Command Palettes ar ..read more

The latest version of Tower for Windows introduces a helpful new feature: the ability to compare branches! Reviewing changes just got a whole lot easier. We also took this opportunity to bring partial stashing to our Git client for Windows and did a number of improvements under the hood. Keep reading to discover all the details about our latest update! 1. Branch Comparison Comparing two branches can be helpful when you want to review all the changes made in a branch. The new "Compare" feature allows you to compare a currently checked out branch with another local branch. This way, you can see ..read more

We've addressed the importance of writing clear, meaningful commit messages numerous times on our blog. It's considered one of the most essential Git best practices as it greatly facilitates the reviewing process of a project's development, both for your team members and your future self. But what if we could improve commit messages even further, making them more expressive (and colorful) for everyone? This is where Gitmoji comes in. Gitmoji is an open-source project that introduces a standardized set of emojis for Git commits. It's quite an interesting approach to writing commit messages, esp ..read more

In the inaugural episode of a new series, we had the opportunity to interview Jonas Treub and Niels van Hoorn from the Framer team. They shared how Tower helps them effectively manage version control for the Framer codebase, enabling their users to create visually stunning websites. Framer has revolutionized the way teams can collaborate to publish outstanding websites. With its innovative design tools, anyone can effortlessly build a website that wows the audience — no coding knowledge needed! Many members of the Framer team are fans of Tower — including Koen Bok, Framer's CEO, who was kind e ..read more

Fun fact: some developers argue that CI and CD are repetitive terms, as CI’s creator included testing and deployment in its definition two decades ago. No matter what terms you prefer, reliable software development is vital for businesses. The CI/CD practice helps developers detect bugs early, reduce manual errors and accelerate software delivery. So, let’s explore some best practices for you to improve your CI/CD practice. In a Nutshell: Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment and Continuous Delivery Large software teams run into problems when one person’s work messes with another’s wit ..read more

SSH support is now available on Windows! Starting today, you can link your SSH keys with your User Profiles and conveniently sign commits (or tags) directly from Tower. ? Initially introduced in Tower for Mac earlier this year, we are now bringing one of your most requested features to Tower for Windows as well. In this post, you will learn about the new features in the 5.2 release and how to set up and use SSH! We rely on SSH to authenticate commits and tags to confirm if they were made by the intended individuals. SSH works seamlessly in Tower, and if you've been using GPG before, you'll fee ..read more

Hacktoberfest is a month-long celebration dedicated to the growth of open-source projects. The mission is simple: to inspire more people to get involved in open source and collaborate to improve the software that we use every day. In this guide, you'll learn how you can join this movement and contribute! Hacktoberfest started 10 years ago. At the time, 676 people responded to the call for support. Last year, the number grew to 147,000 participants!! ? As more and more people set aside some time in the busy month of October to contribute to open-source software, we felt like we should also play ..read more

In this blog post, we will explore common Git mistakes and bad practices that every developer should be aware of and, more importantly, avoid. In essence, this post is about what you shouldn't do in Git! Git is our bread and butter, and we think it's an incredibly powerful tool — but it doesn't teach you how it should be used. That's why, in this guide, we will focus on addressing the 7 most prevalent mistakes that we have observed among both new and experienced developers when using Git. By learning from these mistakes and adopting best practices, we are certain that you will become a more sk ..read more

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in ensuring your website performs well with search engines, ultimately driving organic traffic and pageviews. While content creation is typically handled by bloggers or the marketing team, developers hold the key to implementing the technical foundations that can significantly enhance a website's performance. However, in my experience, many web developers are unaware of the diverse techniques and opportunities that exist in SEO-land. Nowadays, SEO goes well beyond keyword research and obtaining backlinks; it encompasses best practices that ..read more

In February 2011, we launched the first-ever version of Tower for Mac. Now, twelve years later, we are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of Tower version 10, bringing excitement (and a touch of color) to the table! Tower has consistently grown in power and user-friendliness with each iteration. However, we couldn't overlook the one vital element that appeared to be absent from the equation: color! ? Our "feature request" mailbox was filled with messages echoing our sentiments. That's what makes it so gratifying to finally unveil it to you. Drumroll, please... You may have alr ..read more