PR File Highlight
A VS Code extension that decorates files in the Explorer based on their git change status relative to a configurable base branch. Quickly see which files are part of your current branch's changeset without opening the Source Control panel.
Features
- Branch changes — files changed vs the base branch get a green
● badge, propagated up through parent directories
- Uncommitted changes — unstaged/staged files get an amber
◌ badge (takes priority over branch badge)
- Configurable base branch — supports a single branch name or an ordered fallback list (e.g.
["main", "master"])
- Worktree support — works correctly in git worktrees
- Status bar indicator — shows the current base branch; click to change it
- Commands via the command palette:
PR File Highlight: Toggle — enable/disablePR File Highlight: Refresh — force refreshPR File Highlight: Set Base Branch — pick from local branches
Configuration
All settings are under the prFileHighlight namespace:
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
prFileHighlight.baseBranch |
"main" |
Branch to diff against. Use an array for fallback, e.g. ["main", "master"] |
prFileHighlight.enabled |
true |
Enable/disable decorations |
prFileHighlight.branchChange.badge |
"●" |
Badge for branch-changed files (max 2 chars) |
prFileHighlight.branchChange.tooltip |
"Changed in branch" |
Tooltip for branch-changed files |
prFileHighlight.uncommitted.badge |
"◌" |
Badge for uncommitted changes (max 2 chars) |
prFileHighlight.uncommitted.tooltip |
"Uncommitted change" |
Tooltip for uncommitted files |
prFileHighlight.ignorePaths |
["**/package-lock.json", "**/yarn.lock", "**/*.generated.*"] |
Glob patterns to never decorate |
Colors can be themed via prFileHighlight.branchChangeColor and prFileHighlight.uncommittedColor in your settings.json workbench.colorCustomizations.
Contributing
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- VS Code or VS Code Insiders
Setup
git clone https://github.com/JonnyPickard/vscode-pr-file-highlight.git
cd vscode-pr-file-highlight
npm install
Running in development
Press F5 in VS Code to open an Extension Development Host with the extension loaded.
Or compile manually:
npm run compile # one-off build
npm run watch # rebuild on save
Debugging
The extension logs to the PR File Highlight output channel (View → Output → select from dropdown). You'll see git root discovery, base branch resolution, and exactly how many files were decorated.
Linting
npm run lint
Releasing
Releases are automated via GitHub Actions on a version tag push:
npm version patch # or minor / major — bumps version + creates git tag
git push --follow-tags
This triggers the release workflow which:
- Compiles and packages the
.vsix
- Creates a GitHub Release with the
.vsix attached
- Publishes to the VS Code Marketplace (requires
VSCE_PAT secret)
- Publishes to Open VSX (requires
OVSX_PAT secret)
Setting up publish secrets
Add the following to your GitHub repo secrets (Settings → Secrets → Actions):
License
MIT
