GitHub Plus easier GitHub downloading

Martin Brinkmann
Aug 22, 2016
Google Chrome
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8

GitHub Plus is a free browser extension for Google Chrome that improves the file browsing and download process on the project hosting site GitHub.

GitHub is a popular destination for project development. Companies and individuals make their open source projects available on the site.

If you happen to visit GitHub regularly to check out projects or download releases, you may have noticed that it is not super easy to download individual files from a project. In fact, there is no option to download individual files directly on the project hosting site.

While you may view any file by clicking on it, the page that opens does not offer direct download options.  You may use raw view for that, but it is anything but convenient.

GitHub Plus

GitHub Plus for Google Chrome has been designed to make things easier for users. You will notice for instance that it displays file sizes next to any file listing on GitHub.

The browser extension places cloud icons next to any file listing as well. A click on the icon downloads the file directly to the local system. That's easier than going through the raw mode hoops or downloading the whole project just to gain access to a few files.

Download links are only displayed for files but not for directories or symbolic links.

Things don't stop there though. When you open a file on GitHub, additional options are provided on that page as well.

The add-on displays the size of the file and the download button on the right side of the file name at the top of the page.

There you find the next copy file button which copies the file contents to the the Clipboard of the computer automatically.

It may take a moment before the data is populated when you load a GitHub project. It took a couple of seconds the most before file size and download links were added to each file listed on the project's page.

Closing Words

GitHub Plus makes things easier for users who -- sometimes -- want to download individual files from projects. You save a couple of clicks and some time when you are using the extension to do so.

The extension itself is open source, and you may browse the code -- you guessed it -- on GitHub as well.

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GitHub Plus
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Comments

  1. Mikhoul said on August 23, 2016 at 5:58 pm
    Reply

    DownGit: To download whole folder: https://minhaskamal.github.io/DownGit/#/home

    Github Rawgit Button: Userscript to add “Rawgit” button on github https://github.com/eight04/rawgit-button

    OctoTree: Add-on to display GitHub code in tree format https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/octotree/

  2. Brett Cooper said on August 23, 2016 at 10:58 am
    Reply

    I like their new desktop github application. Makes IT forking easier :)
    https://desktop.github.com/

  3. Tony said on August 23, 2016 at 8:54 am
    Reply

    GitHub is nice, but their website is so messed up. You can’t even cut and paste code from a Windows box within their website.

  4. Dubious User said on August 22, 2016 at 8:41 pm
    Reply

    NICE, But many people do not look @github simply because most of the code that you get there with a master download must be compiled. Which compiler is needed? Is any M$ compiler even free to use?

    1. The Relentless said on August 31, 2018 at 9:33 pm
      Reply

      It depends on the project as to which compiler works best. Generally, if there is a .SLN file you can use Microsoft Visual Studio. There is a free community version at https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/

  5. ask said on August 22, 2016 at 6:56 pm
    Reply

    how to install it to firefox? firefox already support chrome extension right?

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on August 22, 2016 at 7:21 pm
      Reply

      Depends on the extension. Try the Firefox add-on https://www.ghacks.net/2016/05/23/install-google-chrome-extensions-firefox/ and then download the extension. Let me know if it worked.

      1. ask said on August 23, 2016 at 11:02 am
        Reply

        Not working.. After I pressed ‘save’ on the access token page, nothing happens.
        After that I reopen the page, token is still empty.

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