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Using Git in VS Code — Level 3

This guide covers Git workflows in Visual Studio Code, including the Source Control view, branching, resolving conflicts, pushing and pulling, and useful settings.

Prerequisites​

  • Install Git on the machine and ensure it is available in PATH. Verify by running git --version in a terminal.
  • Install Visual Studio Code (current stable release).
  • Configure Git user name and email globally if not already set:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Opening a repository​

  • Open the project folder in VS Code (File → Open Folder or code . from the repository root).
  • The Source Control icon in the Activity Bar (left) shows the current repository state. If the folder is not a Git repository, initialise one with the Initialise Repository button or run git init in the terminal.

Source Control view — daily workflow​

  • The Source Control view lists unstaged (Changes) and staged (Staged Changes) files. Use the plus icon next to a file to stage it, or the + at the top to stage all changes.
  • Use the message box at the top of the Source Control view to type a concise commit message. Use the checkmark to commit staged changes.
  • Common actions available from the file context menu:
    • Stage / Unstage
    • Discard changes (use with caution)
    • Open file history or compare with HEAD

Branching and switching​

  • Click the branch indicator in the status bar (bottom-left) to view and switch branches, or to create a new branch.
  • Creating a branch inside VS Code mirrors git checkout -b <branch> behaviour. Use descriptive branch names like feature/add-login or fix/typo.

Pull, push and fetch​

  • Use the three-dot menu in the Source Control view or the status bar icons to Pull, Push, and Fetch from the remote.
  • Regularly Pull (or Fetch + Merge/Rebase) to keep the local branch up to date with the remote. Use Push to upload local commits to the remote.

Working with remotes and PRs​

  • VS Code integrates with GitHub through the GitHub Pull Requests and Issues extension (optional). The extension provides a UI to create, review and merge pull requests without leaving the editor.
  • Remotes may be inspected and managed via the Remote commands or the terminal (git remote -v, git remote add <name> <url>).

Resolving merge conflicts in VS Code​

  • When a merge or rebase results in a conflict, VS Code marks the conflicted files in the Source Control view and highlights conflict regions in the editor.
  • The editor shows three actions for each conflict block: Accept Current Change, Accept Incoming Change, and Accept Both Changes (or Compare Changes). Use the action buttons to pick the desired result. Edit manually when a combined custom resolution is required.
  • After resolving conflicts in all files, stage the resolved files and continue the merge or rebase (git rebase --continue if rebasing). Commit the merge if necessary.

Stashing, undo and restore​

  • Use the terminal or the three-dot Source Control menu to access stash commands. Stash saves local changes for later reuse: git stash, git stash pop.
  • Restore a file to the last committed state with Discard Changes from the file context menu in the Source Control view. Use carefully; this action is destructive for local modifications.

Viewing history and blame​

  • The built-in timeline view shows local file history. Right-click a file and choose Show Timeline to inspect recent commits affecting that file.
  • The Git: Toggle Blame Annotations command or extensions such as GitLens provide inline blame information and richer history exploration.
  • Enable auto fetching to keep remote state fresh: set git.autofetch to true.
  • Configure git.enableSmartCommit to allow committing without staging when appropriate, but prefer explicit staging for clarity.
  • Ensure files.eol and core.autocrlf are set appropriately for team line-ending consistency. Use .gitattributes for repository-level control.

Keyboard shortcuts (default)​

  • Ctrl+Shift+G (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+G (macOS) — Open Source Control view.
  • `Ctrl+`` (backtick) — Toggle integrated terminal.
  • Ctrl+P then # — Go to Symbol in File (for quick edits during conflict resolution).

Troubleshooting common issues​

  • VS Code cannot find Git: ensure Git is installed and the path is visible to VS Code (restart the editor after installing Git).
  • Credential prompts: use the Git credential manager for the platform (Windows Credential Manager on Windows) or the GitHub authentication extension.
  • Merge conflicts remain after staging: ensure all conflicted files are resolved and staged before continuing a rebase or completing the merge.

Cheatsheet (commands for reference)​

# Stage files and commit
git add <file>
git commit -m "message"

# Create and switch to a branch
git checkout -b feature/name

# Update local main and rebase feature branch
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout feature/name
git rebase main

# Push branch to origin
git push -u origin feature/name

# Stash
git stash
git stash pop

Policy and best practice reminders​

  • Use small, focused commits and meaningful messages.
  • Keep main in a deployable state.
  • Resolve conflicts locally and run tests before pushing.