Sapling: A new source control system with Git-compatible client (engineering.fb.com)

Article summary

Meta has open-sourced Sapling, a new source control system that is compatible with Git. Sapling aims to improve usability and scalability, particularly for large repositories. It provides features such as a smartlog, easy mistake recovery, and first-class commit stacks. The initial release includes the Sapling client, with plans to open-source the virtual file system and server in the future.

Main themes

• source control systems
• Git compatibility
• usability and scalability
• large repositories
• workflow and productivity
• alternative version control systems
• network effects and adoption

What commenters say

• Sapling's workflow is significantly better than Git's in terms of usability, especially for large repositories.
• The network effect of Git makes it difficult for alternative source control systems to gain traction, regardless of their quality.
• Sapling's compatibility with existing Git repositories makes it more viable as an alternative.
• The staging area in Git is not necessary and can be replaced with other workflows, such as regularly committing and amending.
• Some users find the staging area in Git to be a crucial feature for their workflow.
• Sapling's features, such as the virtual file system and server, have the potential to make it 10x better than Git for large companies and teams.
• The argument that a new source control system needs to be 10x better than Git to replace it is not relevant, as Sapling is not intended to replace Git, but rather to provide an alternative for specific use cases.