Git Helper AI 🤖
Git Helper AI is a powerful VS Code extension that supercharges your Git workflow. It combines Google Gemini AI to write intelligent commit messages with a visual dashboard for managing repositories, viewing history, and syncing with collaborators.
✨ Key Features
1. 🤖 AI Smart Commits
Stop struggling with commit messages. The extension analyzes your staged changes using Google Gemini and generates 3 structured options for every commit:
- Subject Line: A punchy, concise summary (under 50 chars).
- Detailed Body: A full explanation of why and what changed, perfect for keeping your team in the loop.
- Smart UI: View the subject and details clearly before selecting.
2. 🔑 Flexible API Key (BYOK)
- Instant Start: Works immediately out of the box using a shared starter key.
- Bring Your Own Key (Pro): Add your own personal Gemini API Key for higher rate limits and privacy. Your key is stored securely in your OS Keychain (not in settings files).
3. 📊 Visual Dashboard
Access all your Git tools in one place.
- Run the command "Git Helper: Open Dashboard" to open a control panel.
- Use the "⚙️ Configure Key" card to manage your API settings.
- Drag the dashboard tab to the side to keep it open as a "floating" tool palette while you code.
4. 📜 Clean History Logs
View your project's history in a beautiful, easy-to-read table.
- See full author names, exact timestamps, and commit hashes.
- No complex graph lines—just a clean, readable timeline of who did what.
5. 🔔 Real-Time Collaborator Alerts
Never fall behind again.
- The extension works in the background, checking your remote repository every 30 seconds.
- If a teammate pushes code, you get an instant notification telling you who pushed and how many commits are incoming.
- Click "Sync Changes" directly from the popup to pull updates immediately.
6. 🚀 Easy Publish & Clone
- Publish: Initialize a local folder and push it to a new GitHub repo in seconds without touching the terminal.
- Clone: Paste a URL and let the extension handle the rest.
⚙️ Setup & Configuration
This extension is designed to work immediately. However, for the best experience, we recommend adding your own free Google Gemini API Key.
How to Add Your Own Key (Recommended)
- Get your Key: Go to Google AI Studio and click "Get API key" (It's free).
- Copy the Key.
- Open VS Code Command Palette:
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac).
- Run the Command:
- Type
Git Helper: Set Custom API Key.
- Paste your Key.
🔒 Security Note: Your custom API key is stored in VS Code Secret Storage (your operating system's secure keychain). It is never saved in plain text files and is safe to use in shared/recorded environments.
🎮 How to Use
You can use the Visual Dashboard or the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
| Feature |
Command Palette Name |
Description |
| Dashboard |
Git Helper: Open Dashboard |
Opens the visual UI panel. |
| Smart Commit |
Git Helper: AI Smart Commit |
Stages changes, generates AI messages, and commits/pushes. |
| Set API Key |
Git Helper: Set Custom API Key |
Securely save your personal Gemini Key. |
| View History |
Git Helper: Show Graph |
Opens the clean commit log viewer. |
| Publish |
Git Helper: Publish Repo |
Turn a local folder into a remote Git repo. |
| Ignore Files |
Git Helper: Ignore Files |
Select files from a list to add to .gitignore. |
📋 Requirements
- Git must be installed on your machine and available in your system PATH.
- An active internet connection is required for AI generation and Remote Sync alerts.
Enjoy a faster, smarter Git workflow! 🚀
