PR Tracer
Trace any code line back to its origin Pull Request — right from your editor.
PR Tracer answers the question "Why is this code here?" in 3 seconds. Place your cursor on a line, trace it through git blame, and discover the PR that introduced it — without leaving VSCode.
Installation
Search for PR Tracer in the VSCode Marketplace and click Install, or run:
ext install vincent-kkelvin.pr-tracer
Features
Trace PR
Right-click any line or use the Command Palette to trace it back to its origin Pull Request.
- Information Message with PR title, "Open PR" and "Copy Link" buttons
- Show Details opens a side panel with the full trace chain (commit → merge → PR → issue)
- Inline Decoration shows a CodeLens above the traced line:
PR [#42](https://github.com/vincent-kk/line-lore-vscode/issues/42): title with Show Details and Dismiss actions (auto-hidden when the file is closed)
Two Trace Modes
| Mode |
Description |
| Change (default) |
Traces to the PR that last modified the line |
| Origin |
Follows rename/move history to the original PR that created the code |
Both modes are accessible from the hover tooltip after an initial trace.
After a line has been traced, hovering past the end of the line shows a rich tooltip with:
- PR number and title with a direct link
- Action buttons: Copy Link, Show Details
- Trace buttons: Re-trace, Origin
- When both Change and Origin results are cached, the tooltip shows both with a comparison
Range Trace
Select multiple lines and trace the entire range at once.
Graph Explore
Enter a PR number to explore linked issues via the platform API.
Health Check
Check your operating level and platform integration status.
| Level |
Condition |
Capabilities |
| 0 |
Git only |
Commit-level tracing |
| 1 |
CLI detected, limited auth |
Basic PR identification |
| 2 |
Fully authenticated |
Full PR/Issue metadata |
Status Bar
Persistent operating level indicator in the bottom status bar. Click to run Health Check.
Detail Panel
A webview side panel that renders the full trace chain:
- Original Commit → Cosmetic Commit → Merge Commit → Pull Request → Issue
- Shows confidence level, tracking method, merge date, and linked URLs
- Fully themed using VSCode color variables
Usage
- Open a file in a Git repository
- Place your cursor on a line
- Run PR Tracer: Trace PR from:
- Command Palette (
Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
- Right-click context menu
- Hover tooltip link (after end of line text)
Commands
| Command |
Description |
PR Tracer: Trace PR |
Trace current line to its origin PR |
PR Tracer: Trace PR (Range) |
Trace selected line range |
PR Tracer: Explore Graph |
Explore PR → Issue graph |
PR Tracer: Health Check |
Check operating level and platform status |
PR Tracer: Clear Cache |
Clear cached trace data |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
prTracer.enabled |
true |
Enable/disable the extension |
prTracer.hoverProvider.enabled |
true |
Show trace info in hover tooltip |
prTracer.inlineDecoration.enabled |
true |
Show PR number inline after trace |
prTracer.inlineDecoration.timeout |
30 |
Seconds before decoration auto-removes (0 = never) |
prTracer.trace.deep |
false |
Enable deep trace for squash merges |
prTracer.trace.noAst |
false |
Disable AST analysis |
prTracer.trace.noCache |
false |
Disable caching |
Requirements
- VSCode 1.85+
- Git repository (local filesystem only — virtual/remote workspaces are not supported)
- Level 1+: GitHub CLI (
gh) or GitLab CLI (glab) installed
- Level 2: CLI authenticated (
gh auth login / glab auth login)
Keyboard Shortcuts
No default keybindings are registered. Bind them yourself via Cmd+K Cmd+S (macOS) / Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux):
| Suggested Shortcut |
Command |
Cmd+Shift+L / Ctrl+Shift+L |
prTracer.tracePR |
| Platform |
CLI |
Status |
| GitHub |
gh |
Supported |
| GitLab |
glab |
Supported |
License
MIT
