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Git Rewind

Git Rewind

jiri

| (0) | Free
Browse a file's git history with rename-aware diffs, conventional-commit cues, pickaxe search, and side-by-side compare.
Installation
Launch VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P), paste the following command, and press enter.
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Git Rewind

Version Installs Rating License

Browse a file's git history with rename-aware diffs, conventional-commit cues, pickaxe search, and side-by-side compare. No LOC limits, no external services, no telemetry.

Git Rewind panel

Features

  • Horizontal commit timeline — newest right, oldest left. Click or use ←/→ (or j/k) to step through history.
  • Rename-aware — follows files across git mv and content-detected renames (-M). Pre-rename diffs render correctly. Renamed commits show a purple R badge.
  • Word-level diff — intra-line additions and deletions highlighted, not just whole-line changes.
  • Compare any two commits — Alt-click (or Cmd-click on macOS) any commit to set it as the base, then pick another to diff against it.
  • Pickaxe search — find commits that added or removed a code string (git log -S). Narrows the timeline to matching commits.
  • Filter by author/message/SHA — type in the search box; press / to focus.
  • Conventional Commits cues — colored stripes per type (feat, fix, docs, …), badges in the callout, breaking-change ! markers.
  • Syntax-highlighted diffs — Shiki, theme-aware (light, dark, high-contrast).
  • Per-file memory — last viewed commit is restored when you reopen the panel.
  • Initial-commit handling — when a file was introduced in a commit, the full file is shown as context.
  • Jump to next/prev change — n / p while focused on the diff.

Usage

Open any file in a Git repository, then:

  • Editor title bar → click the ⏱ icon
  • Right-click in editor → "View File History"
  • Right-click in Explorer → "View File History"
  • Keyboard → Alt+Cmd+H (macOS) / Alt+Ctrl+H (Windows/Linux)
  • Command palette → "Git Rewind: View File History"

Keyboard shortcuts (inside the panel)

Key Action
← / j Older commit
→ / k Newer commit
n Jump to next change in diff
p Jump to previous change in diff
/ Focus the filter input
Esc (in filter) Clear filter
Alt+R Refresh current commit view

Commands

  • Git Rewind: View File History
  • Git Rewind: Refresh File History
  • Git Rewind: Next Commit
  • Git Rewind: Previous Commit

Requirements

  • VS Code 1.85.0 or newer
  • Git installed and on PATH
  • File must be inside a Git working tree

Limitations

  • Inline diff only (no side-by-side mode yet)
  • No "open on remote" link (GitHub / GitLab) yet
  • No ignore-whitespace toggle yet
  • Commit subject only — body is not displayed yet
  • File path under git is converted using path.relative — Windows path separators may need testing in deeply nested repos

Development

bun install
bun run typecheck
bun run build
# or
bun run watch

Press F5 in VS Code to launch an extension-host window with the dev build.

Privacy

Everything runs locally against your git binary. No network calls. No telemetry.

License

MIT

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