Branch Tabs - VS Code Extension

Save and restore opened tabs automatically per Git branch. Never lose your context when switching between branches.

Features

🔄 Automatic Tab Management

• Auto-save: Tabs are automatically saved when you switch branches
• Auto-restore: Previously opened tabs are restored when returning to a branch
• Smart detection: Works seamlessly with Git branch changes

📊 Status Bar Integration

• See current branch and number of saved tabs at a glance
• Quick access menu with one click
• Real-time updates

🎯 Manual Controls

• Save tabs manually for the current branch
• Restore tabs on demand
• Preview saved tabs without opening them
• Load tabs from another branch without switching

⚙️ Customizable

• Enable/disable auto-save and auto-restore
• Configure auto-save delay
• Show/hide notifications
• All configurable via VS Code settings

Usage

Status Bar (Recommended)

Click on the status bar item showing your branch name (e.g., 📂 main (12 tabs)) to access:

• 💾 Save Current Tabs
• 📂 Restore Tabs
• 👁️ Preview Saved Tabs
• 🔄 Load Tabs from Another Branch
• ⚙️ Settings

Context Menu

Right-click on any tab → Load Tabs from Another Branch...

Command Palette

• Branch Tabs: Save Current Tabs - Manually save tabs
• Branch Tabs: Restore Tabs for Current Branch - Manually restore tabs
• Branch Tabs: Show Menu - Open quick menu

Requirements

• VS Code 1.108.1 or higher
• Git repository (extension activates when Git is available)

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• branchTabs.autoRestore: Enable/disable automatic tab restoration when switching branches (default: true)
• branchTabs.autoSave: Enable/disable automatic tab saving when tabs change (default: true)
• branchTabs.showNotifications: Show/hide notification messages (default: true)
• branchTabs.autoSaveDelay: Delay in milliseconds before auto-saving tabs (default: 2000)

How It Works

1. Branch Detection: Monitors Git branch changes using VS Code's Git extension API
2. Storage: Tabs are saved per branch in VS Code's workspace state (local to each project)
3. Auto-save: When tabs change, they're saved after a configurable delay (debounced)
4. Restore: When switching branches, tabs from the target branch are automatically restored

Architecture

Built with clean architecture principles:

src/ ├── services/ # Business logic │ ├── GitService # Git API integration │ ├── StorageService # Persistence layer │ ├── TabsService # Tab management │ ├── ConfigService # Configuration │ └── Logger # Logging utility ├── ui/ # User interface │ ├── StatusBarManager │ └── CommandHandler └── types/ # TypeScript interfaces

Known Limitations

• Tabs are saved per workspace (not globally)
• Only text editor tabs are saved (not webviews, terminals, etc.)
• Tab order may vary slightly on restore

Contributing

This is a portfolio project. Feedback and suggestions are welcome!

Release Notes

0.0.1 (Initial Release)

• Automatic tab save/restore per Git branch
• Status bar integration
• Load tabs from other branches
• Configurable behavior
• Clean modular architecture

License

MIT

Enjoy seamless branch switching! 🚀