While Sapling is a source control system developed to streamline workflows in large monorepo environments, Graphite is a code review platform that leverages GitHub's API to improve the pull request and review process.
Workflow and Philosophy
Sapling:
Designed to simplify complex workflows and make version control more accessible to all developers.
Emphasizes usability and scalability, particularly effective in monorepo setups.
Graphite:
Focuses on breaking up large engineering tasks into small, incremental code changes.
Encourages a workflow with stacked pull requests to ensure faster development and review times.
Key Features and Integration
Sapling:
Offers an intuitive UI and Git integration, allowing for a familiar yet enhanced experience.
Introduces features like Smartlog for a clearer view of the repository and commit history.
Graphite:
Provides a CLI and web app for managing pull requests and encourages small, modular PRs for better review efficiency.
Fully interoperable with GitHub, enabling seamless syncing of code changes and reviews back to GitHub.
Developer Experience
Sapling:
Aims to reduce the complexity often associated with Git, potentially limiting for experienced Git users.
Offers features like automatic rebase and conflict resolution tools.
Graphite:
Graphite’s CLI abstracts complex Git patterns into single commands, simplifying the rebase and merge process.
Supports trunk-based development and allows for the creation of a stack of PRs to be managed and reviewed independently.
Community and Support
Sapling:
As a newer entrant, it has a growing community and the potential for rapid development and new features.
Developed and supported by Meta, ensuring a level of robustness and continuity.
Graphite:
Offers a range of support options, including a customizable PR inbox, a stack-compatible merge queue, insights for review statistics, and a meme library for code review.
Provides actionable Slack notifications and a paid tier with a Merge Queue for automated merges.
Conclusion
Both Sapling and Graphite offer unique takes on improving the version control and code review experience. Sapling's strength lies in its scalability and simplification of complex workflows, making it suitable for large projects and monorepos. Graphite, on the other hand, excels at breaking down tasks into manageable pull requests and integrates closely with GitHub to streamline the review process.
Choosing between Sapling and Graphite will depend on your project's size, preferred workflow, and the level of integration with GitHub you require.
