Release Notes

This is the initial release of degit, a command-line scaffolding tool that lets developers instantly download a clean copy of any public Git repository without its history. It supports multiple Git hosting providers and offers both a CLI and a programmatic Node.js API for flexible integration.

New features

Clone repositories without history
Download a clean snapshot of any public Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Sourcehut) instantly, without cloning the full Git history. Use it as a project starting point: `degit user/repo my-project`.
Multiple Git host support
Supports GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Sourcehut out of the box. Specify a host explicitly (e.g., `degit gitlab:user/repo`) or let degit infer it from the URL.
Branch, tag, and commit targeting
Clone a specific branch, tag, or commit hash by appending it with `#`: `degit user/repo#dev`, `degit user/repo#v1.2.3`, or `degit user/repo#abc1234`.
Subdirectory support
Clone only a subdirectory of a repository by specifying the path: `degit user/repo/path/to/subdir`.
Programmatic Node.js API
Use degit as a library in your Node.js applications. Example: ```js import degit from 'degit'; const emitter = degit('user/repo', { cache: true, force: true, verbose: true }); await emitter.clone('path/to/dest'); ```
Actions system (post-clone hooks)
Define actions in a `degit.json` file at the root of a template repository to automate post-clone steps such as cloning additional repositories or removing files.
Local caching of tarballs
Downloaded tarballs are cached locally to speed up repeated use of the same template. Use the `--cache` flag to force use of a cached version even if a newer commit exists.
Force-overwrite destination
Use the `--force` flag to clone into a non-empty destination directory, overwriting existing files.
Verbose and debug modes
Use `--verbose` for detailed output during cloning, helpful for diagnosing issues or understanding what degit is doing under the hood.
SSH and HTTPS URL support
Accepts full Git URLs in addition to shorthand `user/repo` notation, supporting both HTTPS and SSH formats.