I Built a VS Code Extension to Bring IntelliJ’s “Show History for Selection” Experience
If you come from IntelliJ, you probably miss one super useful feature in VS Code:
Show history for selected lines.
I built a new extension to solve exactly that.
Meet: Show History for Selected Code
This extension helps you inspect Git history for a specific code selection, not just the whole file.
What it does
- Shows commit history for the lines you selected
- Opens a side-by-side diff:
- Parent (previous revision)
- Revision (selected commit)
- Syncs scrolling between both sides for easier comparison
- Lets you resize the commits section
- Click a commit message to open full details in a modal
Why I built it
In day-to-day debugging and code review, I often ask:
- “Who changed this exact block?”
- “What did this snippet look like before?”
- “Why was this line introduced?”
git blame is useful, but it’s not enough when you want a clean visual timeline + commit-level diff focused on your selection.
So I built this extension to make that workflow fast and visual.
How to use
- Open any Git-tracked file in VS Code
- Select one or more lines
- Run command: Show History for Selection
- Pick a commit from the list
- Compare Parent vs Revision instantly
Technical notes
- Built as a VS Code extension (TypeScript)
- Uses Git line-history queries and range fallback
- Optimized UI for quick investigation workflow
- Marketplace-ready packaging and branding
Who is this for?
- Developers debugging regressions
- Reviewers investigating code changes
- Teams migrating from IntelliJ to VS Code/Cursor
- Anyone who wants better Git line-level visibility
Try it
If this sounds useful, give it a try and share feedback.
I’d love to hear:
- What workflows you use it for
- Features you want next (filters, inline blame, keyboard shortcuts, etc.)
- Any edge cases in large repos
What I’m planning next
- Better commit filtering/search
- Richer diff context options
- UX polish for huge files and long histories
- What workflows you use it for
- Features you want next (filters, inline blame, keyboard shortcuts, etc.)
- Any edge cases in large repos
What I’m planning next
- Better commit filtering/search
- Richer diff context options
- UX polish for huge files and long histories
