Pending Changes Reviewer
A VS Code extension that lets you review and manage file changes at any time – perfect for working with AI coding assistants like Claude Code where you want to review changes before they're finalized.
Features
📸 Snapshot Files
Take a snapshot of your files before AI starts making changes. The snapshot captures the current state so you can compare later.
👁️ Track Changes
Start tracking mode to monitor your workspace. Any files you've snapshotted will show up in the Pending Changes panel when modified.
🔍 Inline Diff View
Click any changed file to see a side-by-side diff comparison between the snapshot (original) and current state.
✅ Accept or Revert
- Accept: Keep the changes and clear the snapshot
- Discard: Revert the file back to its snapshot state
How to Use
Typical Workflow with Claude Code
Before asking Claude to make changes:
- Click the "Snapshot All Open Files" button or use the command palette
- This saves the current state of all open files
Let Claude Code make its changes
- Claude modifies files as usual
- Changes appear in the Pending Changes panel
Review at your leisure:
- Open the Pending Changes panel in the activity bar
- Click any file to see the diff
- Accept changes you like, discard ones you don't
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Start Tracking Changes |
Begin monitoring the workspace for file changes |
Stop Tracking Changes |
Stop monitoring changes |
Snapshot Current File |
Save the current state of the active file |
Snapshot All Open Files |
Save the current state of all open files |
Accept Changes |
Accept the changes for a file (removes snapshot) |
Discard Changes |
Revert a file to its snapshot state |
Accept All Changes |
Accept all pending changes |
Discard All Changes |
Revert all files to their snapshots |
Show Diff |
View the diff for a changed file |
Activity Bar
The extension adds a "Pending Changes" icon to the activity bar. This panel shows:
- All files with pending changes
- Change statistics (+additions / -deletions)
- Time since snapshot was taken
Status Bar
A status bar item shows the current tracking state:
- 👁️ Tracking: X files - Currently monitoring X snapshotted files
- 👁️🗨️ Not Tracking - Click to start tracking
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
pendingChanges.autoTrack |
false |
Automatically start tracking when VS Code opens |
pendingChanges.watchPatterns |
["**/*.{js,ts,...}"] |
File patterns to watch for changes |
pendingChanges.excludePatterns |
["**/node_modules/**", ...] |
Patterns to exclude from tracking |
pendingChanges.snapshotOnSave |
false |
Auto-snapshot files on save |
Why Use This?
Problem with AI Coding Assistants
When using Claude Code or similar AI tools:
- Changes are applied immediately
- It can be hard to see exactly what changed
- Reverting requires manual work or git knowledge
Solution
This extension gives you:
- Control: Snapshot before AI edits, review after
- Visibility: Clear diff view of all changes
- Flexibility: Accept or revert file-by-file
- Peace of mind: Easy one-click revert if something goes wrong
Installation
From VSIX (Manual)
- Download the
.vsix file
- In VS Code, open the Extensions view
- Click "..." menu → "Install from VSIX..."
- Select the downloaded file
Development
# Clone and install
git clone <repository>
cd pending-changes-reviewer
npm install
# Compile
npm run compile
# Package
npm run package
Tips
- Snapshot early: Take snapshots before asking AI to make changes
- Review often: Check the Pending Changes panel to see what's modified
- Use keyboard shortcuts: Assign shortcuts to common commands
- Combine with git: This works alongside git – use both for safety
Keyboard Shortcuts (Suggested)
Add these to your keybindings.json:
{
"key": "ctrl+shift+s",
"command": "pendingChanges.snapshotFile"
},
{
"key": "ctrl+shift+d",
"command": "pendingChanges.showDiff"
}
License
MIT
