Brana
Turn code decisions into permanent knowledge.
Brana lets you attach persistent discussion threads directly to lines of code — right inside VS Code. No external tools, no accounts, no cloud. Everything lives in your repository.
Features
- Inline threads — Select any lines of code and press
Ctrl+Shift+N to start a thread. Notes are anchored to those exact lines.
- Smart anchor tracking — Threads follow your code as lines shift up or down. When the code changes too much to track, the thread is marked orphaned so nothing is silently lost.
- Sidebar overview — The Brana panel lists every open, resolved, and orphaned thread in your workspace, grouped by status.
- Full-text search — Instantly search all threads by keyword, file path, or anchored code. Filter by status.
- Markdown preview — Write notes in Markdown and toggle a live preview before saving.
- Reply threads — Add follow-up replies to any existing thread.
- Resolve & archive — Mark threads resolved when the work is done. Resolved threads stay searchable forever — nothing is ever deleted.
- Re-attach — If a thread becomes orphaned, click Re-attach in the sidebar, select the new code, and press
Ctrl+Shift+N to restore the link.
- 100 % local — Data is stored in
.brana/threads.json inside your workspace. Commit it to share threads with your team.
Getting Started
1. Create a thread
Select one or more lines of code in any editor, then press:
| Platform |
Shortcut |
| Windows |
Ctrl+Shift+N |
| macOS |
Cmd+Shift+N |
You can also right-click a selection → Brana: Add thread.
Write your note (Markdown supported), then click Save.
2. Browse threads
Click the Brana icon in the Activity Bar to open the sidebar. Threads are grouped into Open, Resolved, and Orphaned sections. Click any thread to jump to its file.
3. Search your knowledge base
Open the Search panel in the Brana sidebar. Type any keyword — Brana searches thread body text, replies, anchored code, and file paths simultaneously.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action |
Windows / Linux |
macOS |
| Create thread / open at cursor |
Ctrl+Shift+N |
Cmd+Shift+N |
| Focus search panel |
Command Palette → Brana: Search threads |
|
Data & Privacy
All thread data is stored locally in .brana/threads.json inside your workspace folder. Brana makes no network requests and has no telemetry. Your notes never leave your machine unless you commit and push the file yourself.
Requirements
- VS Code
1.110.0 or later
- A workspace folder must be open
Contributing
Found a bug or have a feature idea? Open an issue or pull request on GitHub.
License
MIT
