TopolearnReviewing diffs and staging hunks visually is faster and less error-prone than doing everything on the command line.
VS Code's Source Control view (Ctrl+Shift+G) is a front-end to the git installed on your machine; it runs the same commands you know.
- Changes lists modified files; clicking one opens a diff editor (left = HEAD or index, right = working tree).
- The
+icon stages a file (git add). In the diff editor you can stage or revert individual ranges via the gutter or by selecting lines and running "Stage Selected Ranges" — the GUI equivalent ofgit add -p. - Type a message and press
Ctrl+Enterto commit what is staged. - The status bar shows the current branch (click to switch or create one) and a sync button that pulls then pushes.
- The editor gutter shows coloured bars for added, modified and deleted lines; click one to see the change inline.
Merge conflicts open with inline "Accept Current / Accept Incoming / Accept Both" actions, and a three-way merge editor shows yours, theirs and the result side by side. After resolving, stage the file and commit as usual.
The Timeline view in the Explorer shows a file's commit history, and "Open Changes" on a commit diffs it. Popular extensions such as GitLens add blame annotations and richer history.
Whatever you click, the Git output is logged: open the Output panel and choose "Git" to see the exact commands VS Code ran, a great way to learn and debug.
Example
# Ctrl+Shift+G open Source Control
# click file diff editor: HEAD/index vs working tree
# + stage file (git add file)
# select lines > right-click > Stage Selected Ranges (like git add -p)
# message + Ctrl+Enter commit staged (git commit -m)
# status bar branch switch/create branch (git switch / -c)
# sync button git pull then git push
# Output panel > Git shows the real commands, e.g.
# > git add -A -- /home/ann/shop/src/cart.ts
# > git commit --quiet --allow-empty-message --file -Remember
- Source Control is a GUI over your local git
- Stage files or selected ranges, Ctrl+Enter to commit
- Output > Git shows the exact git commands run
Watch out for
- Pressing Sync without checking what it will push and pull; it runs pull and push together.