A VS Code extension that captures code changes as batched diffs and allows you to reconstruct files exactly as they existed at any point in time.
Features
Session Management: Automatically starts recording when you open a workspace or make your first edit
Batched Diff Capture: Records changes every 2-5 seconds (not per keystroke) for efficiency
Local Storage: All data stored locally in SQLite - nothing leaves your machine
Perfect File Reconstruction: Rebuild any tracked file at any recorded timestamp
Privacy First: Explicit opt-in required, with pause/resume controls
Requirements
VS Code 1.85.0 or higher
Node.js 18+ (for native SQLite binding)
Getting Started
Enable Recording (Required - Opt-in):
Open VS Code Settings
Search for "Code Time Machine"
Enable the visualCodeTimeMachine.enabled setting
Start Recording:
Run command: Code Time Machine: Start Session
Or just start editing - sessions auto-start when enabled
View Past States:
Run command: Code Time Machine: Rebuild File At Time
Select a file from the list of tracked files
Choose a timestamp to view the file as it was at that moment
Commands
Command
Description
Code Time Machine: Start Session
Manually start a recording session
Code Time Machine: Stop Session
End the current session
Code Time Machine: Rebuild File At Time
Reconstruct a file at a specific timestamp
Code Time Machine: Pause Recording
Temporarily pause diff capture
Code Time Machine: Resume Recording
Resume diff capture
Settings
Setting
Default
Description
visualCodeTimeMachine.enabled
false
Enable code change recording (opt-in)
visualCodeTimeMachine.batchIntervalMs
3000
Batch interval for capturing diffs (ms)
visualCodeTimeMachine.idleTimeoutMinutes
15
Minutes of inactivity before session ends
Ignored Files
The following are automatically excluded from tracking:
Binary files (images, PDFs, executables, etc.)
node_modules/ directory
.git/ directory
Environment files (.env, .env.*)
Secret/config files matching sensitive patterns
Technical Details
Storage
Data stored in SQLite database in VS Code's global storage
Append-only storage pattern ensures data integrity
Indexed for efficient querying by file path and timestamp
Diff Algorithm
Uses diff-match-patch library for reliable patching
Patches stored as text and can be applied in sequence
Each diff event stores the base content for recovery
Session Lifecycle
Sessions auto-start on workspace open (if enabled) or first edit
Sessions auto-end after 15 minutes of inactivity
Git repository and branch information captured when available
Privacy
100% Local: All data stored on your machine
No Cloud: Nothing is ever uploaded
Opt-in: You must explicitly enable recording
Pausable: Stop recording anytime with pause/resume commands
Development
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Compile
npm run compile
# Watch mode
npm run watch
Publishing
You can publish the extension to the Visual Studio Marketplace in two ways:
Local publish (manual)
Ensure you have an Azure DevOps Personal Access Token (PAT) created by a publisher Owner with scopes: Packaging (Read & write) and Marketplace publish.
Login with vsce (it will prompt for token):
npx -y vsce login <publisher>
npx -y vsce publish
CI-based publish (recommended)
Add a repository secret named VSCE_PAT containing the PAT above.
Push to main (or run workflow_dispatch) — the GitHub Action .github/workflows/publish.yml will build and publish the extension.
