🧩 PatchTrail
Local-first debugging memory for AI-assisted coding sessions.
PatchTrail acts as a "flight recorder" for your development environment. In the era of AI-assisted coding, fixing bugs can sometimes lead to an infinite loop of regressions. PatchTrail solves this by tracking your sessions chronologically—recording file changes, git diffs, terminal outputs, and AI prompts locally—giving you the precise context needed to prevent AI from breaking working code.
✨ Features
- 🕒 Session Timeline: Visual timeline of all your debugging activities and file changes.
- 📸 Workspace Snapshots: Safely checkpoint your code before trying risky AI-suggested refactors.
- 🧠 Contextual Memory: Generate context-rich recovery prompts if the AI leads you down the wrong path.
- 🔒 100% Local & Private: Your data stays on your machine. No telemetry by default, and secrets are automatically redacted.
🚀 Getting Started
To build and test the extension locally:
Clone the repository and install dependencies:
pnpm install
Build the project:
pnpm run build
Open the project in VS Code and press F5 to launch an Extension Development Host.
🛠️ Commands
PatchTrail provides a comprehensive set of commands accessible via the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P):
| Command |
Description |
PatchTrail: Start Session |
Initializes a new debugging recording session. |
PatchTrail: End Session |
Stops the current session. |
PatchTrail: Pause/Resume Session |
Temporarily halts or resumes activity tracking. |
PatchTrail: Open Timeline |
Opens the interactive visual timeline webview. |
PatchTrail: Create Snapshot |
Creates an instant snapshot of your current workspace state. |
PatchTrail: Restore Snapshot |
Reverts the workspace to a previously saved snapshot. |
PatchTrail: Generate Summary |
Generates an AI summary of the current session's events. |
PatchTrail: Generate Recovery Prompt |
Creates a prompt to help AI recover from a regressed state. |
PatchTrail: Open Settings |
Opens PatchTrail configuration settings. |
⚙️ Configuration
Customize PatchTrail via VS Code Settings (settings.json):
patchtrail.ai.provider: Choose your AI provider (default: openai).patchtrail.openai.model: Model to use for summaries (default: gpt-5.5).patchtrail.snapshot.auto: Auto-snapshot before risky operations (default: true).patchtrail.redaction.enabled: Automatically redact secrets before analysis (default: true).patchtrail.ignore.patterns: Custom glob patterns to exclude from tracking.
🛡️ Privacy & Security
We believe your code is your business.
- Local-First: All session data is stored locally in your workspace under the
.patchtrail/ directory.
- No Cloud Sync: Data is never uploaded automatically.
- Auto-Redaction: Built-in secret redaction ensures API keys and sensitive tokens don't leak into analysis prompts.
- Zero Telemetry: Telemetry is completely disabled by default.
🏗️ Architecture
Built with modern web and extension technologies, supported by a scalable backend:
- Core: TypeScript, VS Code Extension API
- UI: React 18, Tailwind CSS v3
- Backend: Python, FastAPI (for scalable analysis and storage)
- Data:
fs-extra, simple-git
- Build: ESBuild, PostCSS
Built with ❤️ for a better AI coding experience.
