At your command
Github.com provides a new tool that allows you to quickly search through content and actions on the platform, called “Command Palette”. These are the features of the Command Palette supports:
- one central input field to search through content on Github.com
- where you can find your repositories and account data
- as well as use quick actions, for instance all pull requests that are assigned to yourself
How it looks
If you've used the global search on Apple’s macOS, you’ll feel instantly familiar with the UI of Github’s Command Palette. Using the shortcut “command + k” on macOS or “control + k” on Windows opens the new search input.
Note that this view is currently only available as a preview feature. You can check if your account has been unlocked for it by going into the settings in your account view.
This new search is also different from the currently implemented one in the top left corner, as it provides a much broader search experience.
The pattern of Command Palettes
Starting with VS Code, other programs such as DevTools also implemented a global search that allows not only looking for content, but also actions. Github’s implementation follows the same path and offers a great update to the search UX on the platform.
Also be sure to check out the link in the addendum at the end of the page to Github's official documentation, as this feature is quite new if will most likely be steadily improved after this article has been published.