Open Checkpoint Changed File

A VS Code extension that adds an "Open File" button to chat checkpoint diff editors in VS Code Copilot.

In the screenshot above: clicking the "Open File" button in the snapshot diff editor's title bar opens the actual file, bridging the gap left by VS Code's built-in git.openFile.

Why This Extension?

When using VS Code Copilot with chat.checkpoints.showFileChanges enabled, you can see file changes in chat checkpoints. However, VS Code's built-in git.openFile command doesn't handle the chat-editing-snapshot-text-model URI scheme used by these checkpoint diff editors.

This extension fills that gap by providing a dedicated command to open files from chat checkpoint diff editors.

Features

• Open File Button: Adds an "Open File" button to the editor title bar for chat checkpoint diff editors
• Smart Command: open-checkpoint-changed-file.openCheckpointOrGitFile - intelligently handles both chat checkpoint files and git files

Installation

1. Download the .vsix file from releases
2. Install via VS Code: code --install-extension open-checkpoint-changed-file-0.0.1.vsix
3. Or install via VS Code Insider: code-insiders --install-extension open-checkpoint-changed-file-0.0.1.vsix

Usage

Manual Usage

1. Open a chat checkpoint diff editor in VS Code Copilot
2. Click the "Open File" button in the editor title bar
3. The file will open in a new tab

Command Palette

• Cmd+Shift+P → "Open Checkpoint Changed or Git File"

Vim Integration

For users with VSCodeVim, you can bind the command to a leader key sequence:

{
  "before": ["<leader>", "g", "o"],
  "commands": ["open-checkpoint-changed-file.openCheckpointOrGitFile"]
}

Example Configuration

// In your VSCodeVim settings (keybindings.json or settings.json)
{
  "vim.normalModeKeyBindingsNonRecursive": [
    // ... other bindings ...
    {
      // Open file from chat checkpoint changes
      "before": ["<leader>", "g", "o"],
      "commands": ["open-checkpoint-changed-file.openCheckpointOrGitFile"],
    },
  ],
}

Background

VS Code Copilot's chat checkpoint feature (enabled via chat.checkpoints.showFileChanges) allows you to see file changes made during a chat session. These changes are displayed in diff editors using a special URI scheme: chat-editing-snapshot-text-model.

The built-in git.openFile command doesn't recognize this scheme, so clicking "Open File" in these diff editors doesn't work. This extension provides a solution by registering a custom command that properly handles this URI scheme.

Development

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Compile
pnpm run compile

# Package
vsce package --allow-missing-repository

License

MIT