Why I prefer to git stage outside of the editor or the terminal

Sublime Merge is a fantastic Git client. I've been using it for years, even after switching from Sublime Text to VS Code.

VS Code has excellent built-in Git support, but I still prefer a dedicated app for staging files. Even when I used Neovim or Emacs (which has Magit, arguably the best Git client), I stuck with a separate tool for this step. Why?

Staging files is the last significant step in preparing a meaningful commit. It's a moment for a preliminary self-review, an opportunity to catch issues before pushing changes. Doing this in the same editor where I've been writing code makes it harder to see things objectively. By the time I reach staging, I've been immersed in that view of the codebase for a while. A shift in presentation -- simply by using a different app -- helps me see the changes with fresh(er) eyes.

For the same reason, I prefer native browser-based views on GitHub and GitLab when reviewing other people's merge requests. I like keeping "writing code" and "reading code" as distinct experiences.