A powerful VS Code extension that provides an enhanced Git branch management panel for quick and efficient Git operations.
Features
🌿 Branch Management
Visual Branch Explorer: View all local and remote branches in an organized tree structure
Current Branch Indicator: Easily identify your current branch with a visual indicator
Branch Operations: Perform common Git operations directly from the panel
🚀 Quick Actions
Checkout Branches: Switch between branches with a single click
Create New Branches: Create and checkout new branches from any existing branch
Delete Branches: Safely delete local branches (with force delete option)
Rebase Current Branch: Pull and merge latest changes from the remote repository
🎯 User Interface
Dedicated Activity Bar Icon: Easy access through the VS Code activity bar
Context Menus: Right-click on branches for quick actions
Refresh Button: Manually refresh the branch list
Output Channel: Detailed logging for debugging and monitoring Git operations
Installation
Open VS Code
Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "Better Git Panel"
Click Install
Usage
Opening the Panel
Click on the Git icon in the VS Code activity bar (left sidebar)
The "Branches" view will open, showing your local and remote branches
Available Commands
Panel Commands
Refresh Branches: Update the branch list to reflect current Git state
Rebase Current Branch: Pull and merge latest changes from remote
Branch Context Commands (Right-click on branches)
Checkout Branch: Switch to the selected branch
Create Branch: Create a new branch from the selected branch
Delete Branch: Remove the selected local branch
Branch Types
Local Branches: Branches that exist on your local machine
Remote Branches: Branches that exist on the remote repository
Current Branch: Highlighted with an arrow icon to show your active branch
Requirements
VS Code 1.90.0 or higher
Git repository in your workspace
Git installed and accessible from command line
Features in Detail
Branch Creation
When creating a new branch:
Right-click on any branch (local or remote)
Select "Create Branch"
Enter the new branch name
The extension will create the branch and automatically checkout to it
Branch Deletion
Only local branches can be deleted
Uses force delete (git branch -D) for safety
Remote branches cannot be deleted through this panel
Rebase Operation
The rebase command performs:
git fetch origin to get latest changes
git merge origin/<current-branch> to merge changes
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
"Not a git repository": Ensure you're in a Git repository
"No workspace opened": Open a folder in VS Code
Permission errors: Check Git permissions and credentials
Output Channel
For detailed debugging:
Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
Type "Output: Show Output Channel"
Select "Better Git Panel" to view detailed logs
Contributing
This extension is open source. Feel free to contribute by:
Reporting bugs
Suggesting new features
Submitting pull requests
License
This project is licensed under the terms specified in the LICENSE file.
Note: This extension enhances VS Code's built-in Git functionality by providing a more visual and accessible way to manage Git branches. It's designed to work alongside VS Code's existing Git features, not replace them.
