Version Control in Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) provides powerful, built-in support for version control systems, with Git being the most prominent. This guide will walk you through the essential features for managing your code with version control directly within VS Code.

Getting Started with Git

VS Code automatically detects Git repositories. If you open a folder that is already a Git repository, the Source Control view will activate.

Initializing a Repository

If you have a project that isn't yet under version control, you can initialize a Git repository:

1. Open your project folder in VS Code.
2. Go to the Source Control view (the icon with three branching lines on the Activity Bar, or press Ctrl+Shift+G / Cmd+Shift+G).
3. Click the "Initialize Repository" button.

The Source Control View

The Source Control view is your central hub for all version control operations. It displays:

• Changes: A list of files that have been modified, staged, or untracked.
• Staged Changes: Files that are ready to be committed.
• Other Changes: Files that have been modified but not yet staged.
• Ignored Files: Files that Git is configured to ignore.

Basic Git Operations

Staging and Committing

To commit changes:

1. Make changes to your files.
2. In the Source Control view, hover over a modified file and click the + icon to stage it, or click the + icon next to "Changes" to stage all modified files.
3. Enter a commit message in the text box at the top of the Source Control view.
4. Click the checkmark icon (Commit) to commit the staged changes.

# Example of a Git commit in the terminal
git commit -m "Add new feature: User authentication"

Viewing Diffs

Clicking on a file in the Source Control view opens a diff editor, showing you exactly what has changed line by line.

Branching and Merging

VS Code makes it easy to manage branches:

• Create a Branch: Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and type "Git: Create Branch".
• Checkout a Branch: You can switch branches directly from the Status Bar at the bottom of VS Code.
• Merge Branches: Checkout the target branch (e.g., main), then use the command palette ("Git: Merge Branch...") to merge another branch into it.

Working with Remotes

VS Code seamlessly integrates with remote repositories (like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).

Cloning a Repository

To clone a remote repository:

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
2. Type "Git: Clone" and press Enter.
3. Paste the repository URL and select a local folder to clone into.

Pushing and Pulling

From the Source Control view or the Status Bar, you can easily:

• Pull: Fetch changes from the remote and merge them into your current branch.
• Push: Upload your local commits to the remote repository.

Fetching

Fetch downloads commits, files, and refs from a remote repository into your local repo, allowing you to see what others have been working on without automatically merging.

Advanced Features

Branch Comparison

Compare your current branch against another branch or a specific commit directly within VS Code.

Rebasing

Perform interactive rebasing to clean up your commit history.

Resolving Merge Conflicts

When conflicts arise during a merge, VS Code provides a clear inline editor to help you resolve them.

By mastering these built-in version control features, you can significantly enhance your development workflow within Visual Studio Code.