Generated Diffs

A VS Code extension for checking out a branch, reviewing everything it changes from main, and editing directly in the native diff editor. The review includes committed, staged, unstaged, untracked, and open-editor changes.

Usage

1. Open a trusted Git project in VS Code.
2. Open Source Control → Generated Diffs.
3. Choose Project, then use Branch to search for and check out the branch to review.
4. Select a changed file, or choose Open All Changes. Edit the right side of a diff; the extension saves the working file after about one second without typing.

The left side, Main (branch point), is read-only. The default base is the branch's common ancestor with local main, falling back to origin/main. The Base branch control can override that choice.

Committed only opens read-only snapshots of both versions. Auto-save affects only files opened by Generated Diffs and does not alter VS Code's global Auto Save setting.

Installation

Build and install a local VSIX:

npm ci --ignore-scripts
npm run package
code --install-extension generated-diffs-0.1.0.vsix

Reload VS Code after installation. The extension requires VS Code 1.138 or later, the built-in Git extension, and local Git.

How comparisons work

• The default comparison includes committed work and your current local edits.
• Selecting a remote-only branch creates a local tracking branch when needed.
• A branch already open in another worktree can be opened in that worktree instead.
• Checkout requires a clean project so local edits cannot be moved to another branch unexpectedly.
• Generated Diffs never stages, commits, pushes, fetches, or sends source code to a server.

Limits

Binary files, symbolic links, submodule pointers, conflicts, and files over 2 MB show a summary. Deleted files have an empty read-only side. Ignored untracked files and untitled buffers are excluded.

External Git commands are outside the extension's control. Stop editing while switching branches outside VS Code; ordinary VS Code disk-conflict handling still applies.

Development

npm ci --ignore-scripts
npm test
npm run package

Press F5 to start an Extension Development Host. npm run test:integration installs the packaged VSIX into an isolated VS Code profile and exercises the editor flow. Set VSCODE_EXECUTABLE when VS Code is installed outside the usual macOS location.

License

MIT. The bundled Git API declarations retain their original Microsoft MIT license header.