v1.3.2 to v1.3.3

3 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: gh-cli

description: GitHub CLI for remote repository analysis, file fetching, codebase comparison, and discovering trending code/repos. Use when analyzing repos without cloning, comparing codebases, or searching for popular GitHub projects.

metadata:

- version: "1.3.2"

+ version: "1.3.3"

+ categories: "development, integrations"

+ topics: "github, gh-cli, code-search, repo-analysis, pull-requests"

upstream: "gh@2.96.0"

openclaw:

homepage: https://github.com/tenequm/skills/tree/main/skills/gh-cli

emoji: "🐙"

primaryEnv: GH_TOKEN

requires:

bins:

- gh

install:

- kind: brew

formula: gh

bins:

- gh

envVars:

- name: GH_TOKEN

required: false

description: GitHub auth token used by gh CLI.

- name: GITHUB_TOKEN

required: false

description: Alias for GH_TOKEN.

- name: GH_HOST

required: false

description: GitHub Enterprise host override.

---

# GitHub CLI - Remote Analysis & Discovery

Remote repository operations, codebase comparison, and code discovery without cloning.

## When to Use

- Analyze repositories without cloning

- Compare codebases side-by-side

- Fetch specific files from any repo

- Find trending repositories and code patterns

- Search code across GitHub

## Quick Operations

### Fetch a file remotely

```bash

gh repo read-file path/file.ts --repo OWNER/REPO

```

`gh repo read-file` (preview) is the preferred path: it prints raw content, takes `--ref` for any branch/tag/commit, and handles files above the Contents API's 1MB inline limit. Fall back to `gh api` where the command is unavailable:

```bash

gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/path/file.ts -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.raw"

```

There is **no `base64decode` template function** - `--template '{{.content | base64decode}}'` fails with `function "base64decode" not defined`. To decode the default JSON response, pipe it:

```bash

gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/path/file.ts --jq '.content' | base64 -d

```

### Get directory listing

```bash

gh repo read-dir PATH --repo OWNER/REPO

# Or via the API

gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/contents/PATH

```

### Pin the repo in scripted workflows

`gh` infers the repository from the current working directory. In agent or CI workflows - where a `cd` may persist - always pass `--repo OWNER/REPO` so a stray cwd cannot silently retarget the command.

### Search code

```bash

gh search code "pattern" --language=typescript

```

### Find trending repos

```bash

gh search repos --language=rust --sort stars --order desc

```

## Compare Two Codebases

Systematic workflow for comparing repositories to identify similarities and differences.

**Example use**: "Compare solana-fm/explorer-kit and tenequm/solana-idls"

### Step 1: Fetch directory structures

```bash

gh repo read-dir PATH --repo OWNER-A/REPO-A

gh repo read-dir PATH --repo OWNER-B/REPO-B

```

If comparing a monorepo package, specify the path (e.g., `packages/explorerkit-idls`).

### Step 2: Compare file lists

```bash

gh repo read-dir PATH --repo OWNER-A/REPO-A --json name --jq '.[].name'

gh repo read-dir PATH --repo OWNER-B/REPO-B --json name --jq '.[].name'

```

Compare the output of each command to identify files unique to each repo and common files.

### Step 3: Fetch key files for comparison

Compare package dependencies:

```bash

gh repo read-file package.json --repo OWNER-A/REPO-A

gh repo read-file package.json --repo OWNER-B/REPO-B

```

Compare main entry points:

```bash

gh repo read-file src/index.ts --repo OWNER-A/REPO-A

gh repo read-file src/index.ts --repo OWNER-B/REPO-B

```

Add `--cache 1h` to `gh api` calls when iterating on the same files repeatedly, to avoid re-spending rate limit.

### Step 4: Analyze differences

Compare the fetched files to identify:

**API Surface**

- What functions/classes are exported?

- Are the APIs similar or completely different?

**Dependencies**

- Shared dependencies (same approach)

- Different dependencies (different implementation)

**Unique Features**

- Features only in repo1

- Features only in repo2

For detailed comparison strategies, see [references/comparison.md](references/comparison.md).

## Discover Trending Content

### Find trending repositories

```bash

# Most starred repos

gh search repos --sort stars --order desc --limit 20

# Trending in specific language

gh search repos --language=rust --sort stars --order desc

# Recently popular (created in last month)

gh search repos "created:>2024-10-01" --sort stars --order desc

# Trending in specific topic

gh search repos "topic:machine-learning" --sort stars --order desc

```

### Discover popular code patterns

```bash

# Find popular implementations (code search has no sorting - scope with filters)

gh search code "function useWallet" --language=typescript

# Scope to a known repo (code search can't filter by stars - stars:>N is literal text)

gh search code "implementation" --repo=honojs/hono

# Search specific organization

gh search code "authentication" --owner=anthropics

```

For complete discovery queries and patterns, see [references/discovery.md](references/discovery.md).

## Search Basics

### Code search

```bash

# Search across all repositories

gh search code "API endpoint" --language=python

# Search in specific organization

gh search code "auth" --owner=anthropics

# Exclude results with negative qualifiers

gh search issues -- "bug report -label:wontfix"

```

### Issue & PR search

```bash

# Find open bugs

gh search issues --label=bug --state=open

# Search assigned issues

gh search issues --assignee=@me --state=open

```

### Search rate limits

Search runs on a much tighter budget than the 5000/hr core API - check with `gh api rate_limit`:

| Resource | Limit (authenticated) |

|----------|----------------------|

| `core` (incl. `gh api`, `gh repo read-file`) | 5000/hr |

| `search` (repos, issues, prs, commits) | 30/min |

| `code_search` | 10/min |

For advanced search syntax, see [references/search.md](references/search.md).

## Special Syntax

### Field name inconsistencies

**IMPORTANT:** GitHub CLI uses inconsistent field names across commands:

| Field | `gh repo view` | `gh search repos` |

|-------|----------------|-------------------|

| Stars | `stargazerCount` | `stargazersCount` |

| Forks | `forkCount` | `forksCount` |

**Examples:**

```bash

# ✅ Correct for gh repo view

gh repo view owner/repo --json stargazerCount,forkCount

# ✅ Correct for gh search repos

gh search repos "query" --json stargazersCount,forksCount

```

### Excluding search results

A negative qualifier inside a quoted query (`"bug -label:wontfix"`) works as-is. `--` is only required when the query *starts* with a hyphen, which the shell would otherwise read as a flag.

**Put every flag before `--`.** Everything after `--` is positional, so trailing flags get swallowed into the query string:

```bash

# ✅ Correct - flags first

gh search issues --limit 5 -- "-label:wontfix bug"

# ❌ Wrong - --limit 5 becomes part of the search query, silently returning 30 results

gh search issues -- "-label:wontfix bug" --limit 5

```

For more syntax gotchas, see [references/syntax.md](references/syntax.md).

## Preview Commands

Recent `gh` releases added preview commands relevant to remote analysis and discovery. They are subject to change without notice.

```bash

# Read a repo without cloning (see Quick Operations above)

gh repo read-file PATH --repo OWNER/REPO

gh repo read-dir PATH --repo OWNER/REPO

# GitHub Discussions - often where design rationale lives

gh discussion list --repo OWNER/REPO

gh discussion view <number> --repo OWNER/REPO

# Agent skills on GitHub

gh skill search <query>

gh skill install <skill>

# Revert a merged PR

gh pr revert <number> --repo OWNER/REPO

```

## Advanced Workflows

For detailed documentation on specific workflows:

**Core Workflows:**

- [remote-analysis.md](references/remote-analysis.md) - Advanced file fetching patterns

- [comparison.md](references/comparison.md) - Complete codebase comparison guide

- [discovery.md](references/discovery.md) - All trending and discovery queries

- [search.md](references/search.md) - Advanced search syntax

- [syntax.md](references/syntax.md) - Special syntax and command quirks

**GitHub Operations:**

- [repositories.md](references/repositories.md) - Repository operations

- [pull_requests.md](references/pull_requests.md) - PR workflows

- [issues.md](references/issues.md) - Issue management

- [actions.md](references/actions.md) - GitHub Actions

- [releases.md](references/releases.md) - Release management

**Setup & Configuration:**

- [getting_started.md](references/getting_started.md) - `gh auth setup-git` credential helper

- [other.md](references/other.md) - Environment variables, aliases, config

- [extensions.md](references/extensions.md) - CLI extensions

## Resources

- Official docs: https://cli.github.com/manual/

- GitHub CLI: https://github.com/cli/cli

- Search syntax: https://docs.github.com/en/search-github