Git Stash Manager for VS Code

A visual Git stash inspector for VS Code that helps you find, inspect, and understand stashes — including ones created indirectly during commit, merge, pull, or rebase flows — without leaving the editor.

This first version is read-only and safe: it lists stashes and shows what each one contains, but never applies, pops, drops, or otherwise mutates Git state.

Features (MVP)

• Open from the Command Palette: Git Stash Manager: Open.
• List all stashes in the current workspace (git stash list).
• Show stash metadata: reference, branch, and message.
• Inspect a stash's changed files (git stash show <ref> --stat).
• Preview the full diff (git stash show <ref> --patch) in two intuitive, GitHub-review-inspired modes: a Split (side-by-side) view with old on the left and new on the right, and a Unified view with both line-number gutters. Files are collapsible, with large files guarded so the webview never freezes.
• Refresh, filter, and clear loading/empty/error states.

Architecture

The extension keeps Git logic and UI strictly separated:

• Extension host (src/extension) — owns the VS Code APIs, runs Git via execFile (no shell), parses the output, and exchanges typed messages with the webview. Git is never run from the webview.
• React webview (src/webview) — renders the stash list, details, and diff, and sends user actions back to the host.

Shared message and data types live in src/extension/types/stash.ts.

src/
├─ extension/
│  ├─ extension.ts            # activate / command registration
│  ├─ git/
│  │  ├─ gitService.ts        # execFile-based Git runner + commands
│  │  ├─ stashParser.ts       # pure parsers for list / --stat
│  │  └─ diffParser.ts        # unified patch -> structured diff (shared w/ webview)
│  ├─ webview/
│  │  ├─ StashManagerPanel.ts # webview lifecycle + message handling
│  │  └─ getWebviewHtml.ts    # CSP-scoped HTML shell
│  └─ types/stash.ts          # shared types + message contract
└─ webview/
   ├─ main.tsx, App.tsx
   ├─ components/             # StashList, StashDetails, ChangedFilesList, DiffViewer
   └─ styles/app.css          # styled with VS Code theme variables

Development

npm install        # install dependencies
npm run build      # build the extension host (tsc) and webview (Vite)
npm run typecheck  # type-check both projects without emitting
npm test           # run parser unit tests (node:test)

Then press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host and run Git Stash Manager: Open from the Command Palette.

Watch mode during development:

npm run watch:extension   # in one terminal
npm run watch:webview     # in another

Safety

The MVP performs no destructive Git actions. apply, pop, drop, and clear are intentionally not implemented and will only be added later behind explicit confirmation. See planning.md and ai-spec-kit.md for the full spec.