Bring GitHub Desktop's complete workflow experience directly into VS Code

Modern React UI • Multi-Account Support • Advanced Git Operations • Seamless GitHub Integration

🎨 GitHub Desktop-style interface right in your VS Code sidebar 👥 Multiple GitHub accounts with one-click switching 📝 Visual commit history with user avatars and detailed file changes 🌿 Advanced branch management with activity tracking 🔄 Smart sync operations with visual feedback ⚡ Native VS Code integration using built-in diff viewer

• GitHub Desktop-style UI with clean, responsive design
• Material-UI components styled with VS Code theming
• Avatar integration with user profile pictures
• Dark/Light theme support matching VS Code
• Responsive layout that adapts to panel sizes

• Interactive commit history with detailed commit cards
• Commit detail panel opening in separate webview with file changes
• Right-click context menu on commits with full Git operations:
  • Reset to commit
  • Checkout commit
  • Revert changes
  • Create branch from commit
  • Create tags
  • Cherry-pick commits
  • Copy SHA/commit info
  • View on GitHub
• File diff viewer integrated with VS Code's native diff editor
• Commit statistics showing additions/deletions per file

• Advanced branch dropdown with grouping (Default/Recent/Other)
• Branch activity tracking with last commit dates
• Branch creation from any commit
• Branch merging with merge dialog
• Branch switching with visual feedback

• Multiple GitHub accounts with visual indicators and easy switching
• Secure token storage using VS Code Secret Storage API
• GitHub CLI integration with automatic account detection
• One-click account switching directly from accounts panel
• Account-specific operations with proper isolation
• Smart CLI account selection with guided switching process

• Auto-detection of workspace repositories with Git integration
• Repository cloning with account selection and progress tracking
• Private repository support with proper authentication
• Repository switching within VS Code without window changes
• GitHub integration for direct repository links and issue creation

• VS Code Source Control UI - Exact replica of native source control
• Collapsible sections for staged and unstaged changes
• File staging/unstaging with individual file controls
• Commit message editing with keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+Enter)
• Smart action buttons (Stage All, Unstage All, Commit, Sync)
• Real-time updates with file watching and auto-refresh

• Dynamic sync status showing Push/Pull/Fetch operations
• Interactive branch switching with current branch display
• Sync counters showing commits ahead/behind
• Contextual actions (Force Push, Fetch Origin) when available
• GitHub Desktop-style layout with proper spacing and icons

• Search for "GitHub Desktop" in VS Code Extensions
• Click Install and you're ready to go!

1. Look for the 🐙 icon in VS Code's activity bar
2. Click "Add Account" or use Command Palette: GitHub Desktop: Sign In
3. Choose your preferred method:
   • Browser Sign-in (Recommended) - Uses VS Code's built-in GitHub authentication
   • GitHub CLI - If you have gh installed
   • Personal Access Token - For manual setup
   • Enterprise Server - For GitHub Enterprise users

• Any Git repository in your workspace is automatically detected
• Use the sidebar to view commit history, manage branches, and stage changes
• Right-click commits for advanced Git operations
• Switch between accounts instantly from the Accounts panel

💡 Pro Tip: The extension works seamlessly with VS Code's built-in Source Control - no configuration needed!

• Add multiple GitHub accounts (personal, work, enterprise)
• Switch between accounts with a single click
• Each account maintains its own repositories and settings

• Commit History: Timeline view with user avatars and commit details
• File Changes: Click any commit to see detailed file diffs
• Branch Management: Visual branch dropdown with recent/active branches
• Right-click Context: Access all Git operations via context menus

• Auto-detection: Any Git repo in your workspace appears automatically
• Stage & Commit: VS Code Source Control-style interface for staging files
• Sync Operations: Push/pull with visual feedback and conflict detection
• GitHub Integration: Direct links to view commits/repos on GitHub

Access these commands via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

• GitHub Desktop: Sign In - Add a new GitHub account
• GitHub Desktop: Switch Active Account - Switch between your accounts
• GitHub Desktop: Clone Repository - Clone a repo with account selection
• GitHub Desktop: Open Repository - Open any tracked repository
• GitHub Desktop: Create Issue - Create GitHub issues directly
• GitHub Desktop: Refresh Views - Refresh all panels

• Ctrl+Enter - Commit staged changes
• Click any account - Switch to that account instantly
• Right-click commits - Access Git operations menu
• Click commit - View detailed file changes
• Click branch name - Open branch selector

Your data is safe with us:

• Encrypted storage: All GitHub tokens stored securely using VS Code's Secret Storage
• Local processing: Everything runs locally on your machine
• No data collection: We don't collect or transmit your personal data
• Account isolation: Each GitHub account's data is completely separated
• Open source: Full transparency - inspect the code yourself

• VS Code: Version 1.84.0 or higher
• Git: Must be installed and accessible in PATH
• GitHub Account: For full functionality (free accounts work perfectly)

When creating a personal access token, ensure these scopes:

• repo - Repository access
• read:org - Organization membership
• user:email - User email access

🔐 Can't sign in?

• Try "Browser Sign-in" first (recommended method)
• For tokens: Ensure scopes include repo, read:org, user:email
• For GitHub CLI: Run gh auth status to verify authentication

📂 Repository not showing?

• Make sure the folder contains a .git directory
• Use GitHub Desktop: Refresh Views command
• Check that you have access to the repository

🔄 Sync not working?

• Verify you have push permissions to the repository
• Check your internet connection
• For organization repos, ensure proper access rights

Report issues on GitHub - we fix them fast!

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

• ⭐ Star the repository if you find it useful
• 🐛 Report bugs on our GitHub Issues
• 💡 Suggest features via GitHub Discussions
• 📝 Write reviews and share your experience

• 🔧 Fix bugs or add features via pull requests
• 📚 Improve documentation
• 🧪 Add tests for better reliability
• 🎨 Enhance UI/UX to match GitHub Desktop even closer

Visit our GitHub repository to get started!

We're constantly improving! Here's what's on our roadmap:

• 📝 Pull Request Management - View, create, and review PRs directly in VS Code
• 🔔 GitHub Notifications - Get notified about mentions, reviews, and issues
• ✅ Status Checks - See CI/CD pipeline status right in the extension
• 📦 Stash Management - Visual Git stash operations
• 🤝 Conflict Resolution - Better merge conflict resolution tools
• 📊 Repository Insights - Contribution graphs and repository statistics

• ✅ Multi-account support with secure token storage
• ✅ Right-click context menus for all Git operations
• ✅ VS Code native diff integration
• ✅ GitHub CLI integration with account detection
• ✅ Branch activity tracking and smart grouping
• ✅ Dynamic sync status and operations

vs. GitLens: We provide a dedicated GitHub Desktop-style interface, while GitLens focuses on inline annotations and blame features.

vs. GitHub Pull Requests: We offer complete Git workflow management with multi-account support, while GitHub PR extension focuses specifically on pull request operations.

vs. Built-in Source Control: We enhance VS Code's native Git support with GitHub-specific features, visual commit history, and multi-account management.

Our Unique Value: The only extension that brings the complete GitHub Desktop experience into VS Code with full multi-account support.

Made with ❤️ for the VS Code and GitHub communities

🚀 Happy coding with GitHub Desktop for VS Code! 🚀

⭐ Star on GitHub • 🐛 Report Issues • 💡 Discussions

License: MIT © 2024 GitHub Desktop for VS Code Contributors