🔀 Git Branch Differ

🎯 Why Git Branch Differ?

Ever lost track of what you've changed while working on a feature branch? Tired of committing files just to keep track of modifications? Git Branch Differ solves this by providing a clean, always-visible view of your changes right in the VS Code Explorer.

Perfect for developers who:

• 🚀 Work on long-running feature branches
• 👀 Want to see uncommitted changes at a glance
• 🔄 Frequently switch between branches
• 📝 Need to review changes before committing
• 🎯 Follow Git Flow or similar branching strategies

✨ Features That Make a Difference

🎨 Smart Diff Views

• Modified files → Opens in split diff view showing exact changes
• New files → Opens directly for quick viewing
• Deleted files → Shows what was removed with clear indicators

🔍 Intelligent File Status

⚡ Real-Time Updates

Automatically refreshes when you:

• Save files
• Switch branches
• Stage/unstage changes
• Create or delete files

🎯 Branch Comparison

• Compare against any branch (not just main/master)
• Auto-detects the most logical source branch
• Quick branch switcher in the view header

📦 Installation

Via VS Code

1. Open Extensions sidebar (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for "Git Branch Differ"
3. Click Install

Via Command Palette

ext install juanlb.git-branch-differ

🚀 Getting Started

1. Open a Git repository in VS Code
2. Look for "Changed Files" in your Explorer sidebar
3. Click the branch icon to select comparison branch
4. Click any file to see changes

That's it! No configuration needed.

🎮 Usage

View Controls

• 🔄 Refresh - Manually refresh the file list
• 🌿 Branch Selector - Choose which branch to compare against
• 📁 Folder Structure - Navigate changes by directory

File Actions

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Cmd+Shift+P → "Refresh Changed Files"
• Cmd+Shift+P → "Select Comparison Branch"

🔧 Configuration

Git Branch Differ works out of the box with sensible defaults. The colors automatically adapt to your theme's Git decoration colors.

💡 Pro Tips

1. Keep track without committing - Perfect for experimental changes
2. Quick reviews - See all your changes before creating a PR
3. Branch switching - Never lose track when switching contexts
4. Pair programming - Show teammates exactly what you've modified

🤝 Contributing

We love contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. 🍴 Fork the repository
2. 🌿 Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. 💻 Make your changes
4. ✅ Commit with a clear message
5. 📤 Push to your branch
6. 🎯 Open a Pull Request

Development Setup

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/juanlb/git-branch-differ.git

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile and watch
npm run watch

# Run in VS Code
Press F5 to launch Extension Development Host

📊 Requirements

• VS Code: 1.98.0 or higher
• Git: Installed and available in PATH
• Repository: Must be a Git repository

🐛 Known Issues

• Files in .gitignore are not shown (by design)
• Large repositories may take a moment to load initially

📝 Changelog

[1.0.0] - 2025-01-25

Added

• 🎨 Smart diff view for modified files
• 🎯 Automatic detection of new vs modified files
• 🔴 Proper handling of deleted files
• 🌈 Color-coded status indicators
• 🔄 Real-time updates
• 🌿 Branch comparison selector

📄 License

MIT © Juanlb