A VS Code extension for collaborative commenting with author tracking, timestamps, and threaded discussions - similar to Overleaf's commenting feature.
Features
- Resilient Inline Comments: Comments use selected text and surrounding context to stay attached as files change
- Author Tracking: Every comment records who wrote it and when
- Threaded Replies: Reply to comments to create discussion threads
- Tracked Selection Changes: Replacing commented text adds an old/new diff to its discussion thread
- Merge Change History: Collapse each uninterrupted edit sequence without merging across replies
- Resolve/Unresolve: Mark comment threads as resolved when issues are addressed
- Delete with Confirmation: Delete entire threads or individual replies with safety confirmations
- Git-friendly Storage: Comments are saved in
.comments/collab-comments.json only while comments exist
- External Edit Support: Valid changes made directly to the JSON file are reloaded instead of overwritten
- Review Panel: Use VS Code's native Comments panel for a document-review-style overview
- Configurable Author: Set your default name in settings to avoid repeated prompts
- Any File Type: Works on any file - not just QMD or Markdown
Usage
Method 1: Context Menu
- Place cursor on a line (or select text)
- Right-click and choose "Add Comment"
- Enter your comment text
- Your name is automatically added (from settings or system username)
Method 2: Plus Icon
- Click the
+ icon in the editor gutter
- Type your comment and press
Ctrl+Enter
- Click inside the comment thread
- Type your reply in the text box
- Press
Ctrl+Enter to submit
- The reply appears in the same review thread
- Click the checkmark button in the comment thread title bar
- The author name changes to "RESOLVED - [Author Name]"
- Resolved threads show a cross button labelled "Unresolve"
Delete Entire Thread:
- Click the trash icon in the comment thread title bar
- Confirm deletion in the modal dialog
Delete Individual Reply:
- Open Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P)
- Type "Delete Reply"
- Select the reply to delete
- Confirm deletion
Run Comment Tracker: Open Review Panel to use VS Code's native Comments panel,
or open the Comment Tracker activity-bar view. Select a comment to jump to its
current location. Use the eye button in the Review Comments view title to show
resolved comments; use the crossed-out eye to hide them again. Right-click a
comment in this view to resolve or unresolve it.
Configuration
Set your default author name to avoid being prompted every time:
- Open Settings (
Ctrl+,)
- Search for "Comment Tracker"
- Set "Default Author" to your name
Or edit settings.json:
{
"commentTracker.defaultAuthor": "Your Name"
}
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Comment Tracker: Add Comment |
Add a new comment at cursor position |
Comment Tracker: View Comments in Current File |
List comments in the active file |
Comment Tracker: Delete Comment |
Delete a comment thread from a list |
Comment Tracker: Delete Reply |
Delete an individual reply from a thread |
Comment Tracker: Open Review Panel |
Open VS Code's native Comments review panel |
Show Resolved Comments |
Include resolved threads in the Review Comments view |
Hide Resolved Comments |
Return the Review Comments view to unresolved threads only |
Merge Tracked Changes |
Keep the oldest deletion and newest addition within each reply interval |
Storage
Comments are stored in .comments/collab-comments.json at the workspace root. The
file and its directory are not created until the first comment is added, and they
are removed when the last comment is deleted. The JSON file contains:
- Comment ID, text, author, and timestamp
- File path and line range information
- Threaded replies with their own authors and timestamps
- Resolved status
Tip: Commit this file to version control (Git) to share comments with your team!
You may also edit the JSON directly. Save valid JSON and the extension will reload
it. While that document has unsaved changes, comment commands will not write to it.
If the JSON is invalid, the extension reports the error and leaves the file intact.
Requirements
Installation
From Source
- Clone this repository
- Run
npm install
- Run
npm run compile
- Press
F5 to open a new VS Code window with the extension loaded
Use Cases
- Collaborative Writing: Add feedback on drafts without modifying the original text
- Code Review: Leave inline comments for discussion before making changes
- Document Annotations: Mark sections that need work or clarification
- Teaching/Learning: Instructors can comment on student code or documents
- Personal Notes: Track your own thoughts and TODOs within any file
Tips
- Comments re-anchor using selected text and surrounding context after edits, pulls, and rebases
- Rapid edits to commented text are combined into a single tracked-change entry
- Threads show a merge button only when an uninterrupted interval contains multiple tracked changes
- Use resolve to close discussions without deleting the history
- The JSON file can be committed to Git for team collaboration
- Set a default author name in settings to streamline your workflow
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.
License
MIT
