GitRecall

Your tabs remember which branch they belong to.

Repository · Issue Tracker · VS Code Marketplace · Open VSX

Stop losing editor context when reviewing PRs or switching tasks. GitRecall restores exact files, multi-column panes, and cursor lines whenever switching Git branches.

GitRecall Demo

Why GitRecall?

Switching branches should not erase context. Switching to main to hotfix a bug or review a pull request often leaves the editor cluttered with files from a previous feature branch or forces a manual search for previous work.

GitRecall isolates state per branch. Checking out a branch immediately restores workspace state to its previous configuration.

Cross-IDE Compatibility

Compatible across VS Code and all Code-OSS derivative environments, web editors, and developer platforms supporting standard extension protocols (via Open VSX or VSIX).

What's New in v1.0.4

Smart New-Branch Transitions: Switching to a branch with no saved snapshot preserves open tabs, while automatically detecting and closing clean tabs for files that do not exist on the target branch (eliminating crossed-out dead tabs).
Multi-Repository Scoping: Tab capture, Clean Desk, and restoration cycles are strictly scoped to the repository root where the checkout occurred, preventing cross-repo tab closure in multi-repository workspaces.
Pinned Tab Restoration: Pinned editor tabs are persisted and restored with their pinned status intact across branch checkouts.
Pre-Stat Host Boundary Hardening: All URIs are strictly validated before workspace.fs.stat() is called, blocking Windows UNC remote paths (file://remote/share), path traversals (..), and virtual schemes to ensure security.
Collision-Proof Storage & Detached HEAD: Strictly bijective, prefix-free key sanitization (_u_, _s_, _xNN_) and detached:<sha> namespaces prevent cross-branch context collision.
Codicon & Status Bar Sanitization: Status bar displays escape $(...) codicon tokens and strip control characters to prevent UI spoofing.

Features

Feature	Description
Automatic Branch Memory	Open tabs, pinned files, and layout groups are tracked and restored per branch.
Cursor and Line Precision	Restores exact cursor position and active line with a subtle highlight pulse.
Split-Pane Layouts	Retains multi-column layout (ViewColumn) precisely as arranged.
Pinned Tab Persistence	Preserves pinned state across branch switches.
Smart Clean Desk	Closes clean tabs that don't belong to the target branch while protecting unsaved files.
Dead Tab Cleanup	Automatically closes tabs for files deleted or absent in newly checked-out branches.
Multi-Repo Scoping	Safely handles multiple Git repositories in a workspace without cross-repo interference.
Zero Configuration	Operates immediately with no custom configuration or keybindings required.
Local-First and Private	State is isolated inside local workspace storage. No network requests, zero telemetry.

How It Works

git checkout feature-login
         │
         ▼
[ Git HEAD Event ] ──► [ Debounce (300ms) ]
                               │
                               ▼
        ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
        │  1. Save current tabs & cursors to branch A  │
        │  2. Close clean tabs (dirty tabs stay safe)  │
        │  3. Reopen & place layout for branch B       │
        └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Detection: Intercepts HEAD change events via the built-in Git extension using a 300ms debounce to ignore rapid rebase and checkout operations.
Snapshot: Caches open tab paths, active split groups, pinned tabs, and cursor offsets scoped to the active repository root in local workspace storage.
Clean Slate: Closes clean buffers not needed on the incoming branch while leaving unsaved files intact.
Context Recovery: Reconstructs the target branch layout, moves cursors to saved coordinates, and highlights the active line.

Installation

Via Extensions View

Open the Extensions sidebar (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X) in your IDE.
Search for GitRecall.
Select Install.

Via Command Line

# Visual Studio Code / Compatible Editors
code --install-extension Saksham-Mann.gitrecall

Via VSIX Package

Download the latest gitrecall-1.0.4.vsix release and install it with:

code --install-extension gitrecall-1.0.4.vsix

Requirements

VS Code or compatible editor (^1.85.0)
Built-in Git extension active with an initialized Git workspace

Privacy and Storage

GitRecall operates under local-first execution:

State is stored directly within workspace storage (context.workspaceState).
No external cloud dependencies or background sync processes.
No analytics, telemetry, or remote logging.

Known Scope and Behavior

Context	Handling
Repository scoping	Tab capture, Clean Desk, and restoration are strictly isolated to the repository where the branch switch occurred.
Local storage scope	Branch state remains local to the active machine and is not synchronized via Settings Sync.
Text editors	Operates on standard text documents. System webviews (diffs, markdown previews, settings) are omitted from capture.

Feedback and Contributions

Report issues or request features via the GitHub Issue Tracker.
Feedback and stars on the GitHub Repository or reviews on the Visual Studio Marketplace assist project maintenance.

License

MIT (c) Saksham Mann

Git Recall: Restore Branch Tabs, Layouts & State

Saksham Mann