Github Gists

Github Gists are really useful when you want to share a piece of code or configuration without setting up or sharing a complete a git project. Rather than copy & paste into a Github Gists website, you can create a Gist from any Spacemacs buffer with a single command.

Creating a Gist from Spacemacs

The current buffer can be copied into a Github Gist using the command M-x gist-buffer.

You can also create a gist just from a selected region of the buffer. First select the region using C-SPC and run the command M-x gist-region.

Keyboard shortcuts

• SPC g g b : create a public gist from the current Spacemacs buffer
• SPC g g B : create a private gist from the current Spacemacs buffer
• SPC g g r : create a public gist from the highlighted region
• SPC g g R : create a private gist from the highlighted region
• SPC g g l : list all gists on your github account

Replace SPC with M-m if you are using Holy mode

Updating a Gist

When you create a Gist from a buffer there is no direct link between your buffer and the Gist. So if you make changes to your buffer you want to share, you can generate a new gist using M-x gist-buffer & delete the original one (see listing & managing gists below).

Alternatively, once you have created a Gist, you can open that Gist in a buffer and make changes. When you save your changes in the Gist buffer, C-x C-s, the gist on gist.github.com is updated.

Listing & managing Gists

Use the command M-x gist-list or keybinding M-m g g l to show a list of your current Gists.

In the buffer containing the list of your gists, you can use the following commands in Emacs mode.

• RETURN : opens the gist in a new buffer
• g : reload the gist list from server
• e : edit the gist description, so you know what this gist is about
• k : delete current gist
• b : opens the gist in the current web browser
• y : show current gist url & copies it into the clipboard
• * : star gist (stars do not show in gist list, only when browsing them on github)
• ^ : unstar gist
• f : fork gist - create a copy of your gist on gist.github.com
• + : add a file to the current gist, creating an additional snippet on the gist
• - : remove a file from the current gist

The Spacemacs Github layer adds the following key bindings for Vim

Creating Gists from files with dird

If you open a dired buffer you can make gists from marked files, m, by pressing @. This will make a public gist out of marked files (or if you use with a prefix, it will make private gists)