Code Lineage

Stop wondering "Why is this code like this?" and start seeing it.

Code Lineage is a VS Code extension that transforms your Git history into an interactive, explorable timeline. Visualize file evolution, track individual functions across commits, and understand code ownership patterns at a glance — all while keeping your data 100% local. No code or Git history is sent to external servers.

✨ Key Features

Interactive Timeline

Scrub through your file's entire history from creation to present. Visual commit markers show where changes occurred, with tooltips displaying exact dates and times. Jump to any commit by clicking markers or entering a commit hash directly. In Compare mode, use arrow keys to move the target commit and Shift + arrows to move the base commit.

Symbol-Level Tracking

Go beyond file-level history. Select any function, class, or method to track its evolution independently — see exactly when and how a specific piece of code changed, even as the surrounding file evolved.

Compare Mode

Select two points in time and instantly see what changed between them. Perfect for understanding how a feature evolved over a release cycle or tracking down when a regression was introduced.

Working Copy Mode

Compare any historical commit against your current uncommitted changes. See exactly what you're about to commit in the context of the file's history.

Hotspot Analysis

Automatically calculates metrics for your file:

• Hotspot Score: How "hot" is this file based on recent activity?
• Churn Rate: Average changes per month
• Contributor Count: How many authors have touched this file?
• Stability Level: At-a-glance indicator (Stable, Moderate, Hot)

Commit Details

Rich commit information including:

• Author with email (click to copy)
• Full commit hash (click to copy)
• Line additions/deletions
• Direct links to Pull Requests on GitHub/GitLab

Bookmarks

Save important commits for quick reference. Bulk manage bookmarks across your exploration sessions.

Filters

• Date Range: Focus on All Time, Past Year, 6 Months, 3 Months, or Past Month
• Author Filter: See only commits from a specific contributor

🚀 Getting Started

1. Open any file in a Git repository
2. Access Code Lineage via:
   • Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P): "Code Lineage: Show Timeline"
   • Right-click on a file in Explorer → "Show Timeline"
   • Right-click in the editor → "Show Timeline"
   • Click the history icon in the editor title bar
3. Use the timeline slider to navigate through history
4. Click commit markers to jump to specific points
5. Toggle Compare mode to diff two commits
6. Select a symbol from the dropdown to track a specific function

Requirements

• VS Code 1.100.0 or higher
• Git installed and available in PATH
• File must be in a Git repository

Supported Languages for Symbol Tracking

• Go
• Java
• Javascript
• Typescript
• Python
• Rust

License

MIT

Built for developers who want to understand the journey of their code, not just its destination.

Made by Aprameya Shankar