Milestone Manager

A VS Code extension that helps you create and manage code milestones through git commits. This extension provides a seamless way to mark important points in your development process and easily revert to them when needed.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: This extension performs branch alterations and force pushes. It must be used on a dedicated feature branch - DO NOT use on master/main branches.

Features

• Milestone Creation: Create named milestones at any point in your development process
• Visual Management: Dedicated activity bar view for managing all your milestones
• Easy Navigation: Quick access to all milestones through the sidebar
• Git Integration: Automatic git commit and tracking for each milestone
• Revert Capability: One-click reversion to any previous milestone
• Visual Feedback: Clear visual indicators for current and available milestones
• Automatic Branch Detection: Seamlessly refreshes milestone list when switching branches
• Configurable Base Branches: Customize which branches are protected from force push operations
• Manual Refresh: Force refresh milestone data with one-click refresh button
• Integrated Interface: All-in-one webview with settings textbox and milestone management

Installation

1. Open Visual Studio Code
2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Milestone Manager"
4. Click Install
5. Reload VS Code when prompted

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code ^1.85.0
• Git must be installed and configured on your system
• Your project must be initialized as a git repository
• A dedicated feature branch (NOT master/main) as the extension uses force push operations

Usage

Branch Setup

1. Create and checkout a dedicated feature branch for milestone management
2. Never use this extension on master/main branches
3. Ensure you have force push permissions on your branch

Creating a Milestone

1. Click the Milestone Manager icon in the activity bar (looks like a milestone flag)
2. Click the "Create Milestone" button (+ icon) in the Milestones view
3. Enter a name and optional description for your milestone ⚠️ WARNING: Do not create milestones in folders containing secrets or sensitive files. Any files in git-tracked folders will be committed, which could accidentally expose sensitive information.
4. The extension will automatically:
   • Stage all current changes
   • Create a commit with your milestone information
   • Tag the commit for future reference

Viewing Milestones

1. Open the Milestone Manager sidebar (click the milestone flag icon)
2. View the integrated interface with:
   • Protected Base Branches: Textbox at the top for configuring additional protected branches
   • Action Buttons: Create Milestone and Refresh buttons
   • Milestone List: All your created milestones with details
3. Each milestone shows:
   • Milestone name
   • Creation date and time
   • Associated git commit hash
   • Latest indicator for the most recent milestone

Reverting to a Milestone

1. Find the desired milestone in the Milestones view
2. Click the "Revert to Milestone" button
3. Confirm the reversion
4. Your code will be restored to the exact state of that milestone

Automatic Branch Switching

The extension automatically detects when you switch branches and refreshes the milestone list accordingly:

• Seamless Detection: Works with any method of branch switching:
  • VS Code Git extension
  • Command line
  • External Git tools
• Silent Updates: No notifications or interruptions - the milestone list simply updates
• Instant Refresh: Changes are detected immediately when you switch branches
• Branch-Specific Milestones: Each branch maintains its own set of milestones

This ensures you always see the correct milestones for your current branch without any manual intervention.

Configuring Base Branches

You can configure additional base branches that are protected from force push operations:

1. Integrated Interface: Use the textbox at the top of the Milestone Manager panel
2. Live Updates: Changes are saved automatically as you type (with 500ms delay)
3. Format: Enter branch names separated by semicolons: develop;staging;release
4. Real-time Feedback: See currently protected branches displayed below the textbox
5. Default Protection: master and main are always protected by default

Protected branches cannot be used for milestone reversion as they require force push operations that could disrupt team workflows.

Configuring Ignored Files

You can configure which files to exclude from milestone commits using regex patterns:

1. Access Configuration: Click "Configure Ignored Files" in the Configuration section
2. Regex Pattern: Enter a regex pattern to match files you want to exclude
3. Examples:
   • \\.(log|tmp)$ - Excludes .log and .tmp files
   • secrets\\.json$|node_modules/.* - Excludes secrets.json and anything in node_modules
4. Default Pattern: \\.(log|tmp)$|appsettings\\..*\\.json$ (excludes .log, .tmp, and appsettings.*.json files)
5. Validation: The pattern is validated to ensure it's a valid regex

Ignored files are automatically excluded from milestone commits, helping keep sensitive or temporary files out of your milestones.

Extension Commands

The extension provides the following commands:

• milestone-manager.createMilestone: Create a new milestone
• milestone-manager.revertToMilestone: Revert to a selected milestone
• milestone-manager.configureBaseBranches: Configure additional protected base branches (legacy - use integrated textbox instead)
• milestone-manager.configureIgnoredFiles: Configure regex pattern for files to exclude from milestone commits
• milestone-manager.refresh: Manually refresh milestone list and status bar
• milestone-manager.showMilestones: Show the milestone manager interface

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• milestone-manager.additionalBaseBranches: Additional base branches that cannot be force pushed to (separated by semicolons). Example: develop;staging;release
• milestone-manager.ignoredFilesPattern: Regex pattern for files to exclude from milestone commits. Example: \.(log|tmp)$|secrets\.json$

Best Practices

1. Create milestones at significant development points:

   • After implementing major features
   • Before making significant changes
   • At stable, tested states of your code

2. Add descriptive names and notes to your milestones

3. Git Branch Management:

   • Always use a dedicated feature branch
   • Never create milestones on master/main branches (this is automatically blocked by the extension)
   • Inform team members about force push operations
   • ⚠️ Never create milestones in folders containing secrets or sensitive files - all git-tracked files will be committed

Known Issues

None at the moment.

⚠️ Git Operations Warning: This extension performs force push operations and branch alterations. Make sure you understand the implications and have the necessary permissions.

Release Notes

1.0.3

• Configurable File Filtering: New regex-based pattern to exclude specific files from milestone commits
• Automatic Branch Detection: Milestone list refreshes automatically when switching branches
• Enhanced Configuration: Improved interface for configuring protected branches and ignored files
• Integrated UI: All settings now accessible directly in the main interface

1.0.2

• Improved Implementation: Branch isolation now uses git's native branch filtering instead of commit message encoding
• Cleaner Commit Messages: Milestone commits now use simple "Milestone: [description]" format
• Enhanced Performance: More efficient milestone filtering using git log with branch specification

1.0.1

• Bug Fix: Milestones are now isolated to specific branches
• Improved Tracking: Enhanced milestone tracking with branch-specific commit messages
• Enhanced Display: Improved milestone display in the milestones panel

1.0.0

Initial Release of Milestone Manager with core features:

• Milestone Management: Create and manage code milestones
• Visual Browser: Interactive milestone browser interface
• Revert Functionality: One-click reversion to previous milestones
• Git Integration: Seamless integration with git repositories

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on our GitHub repository.

License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.