The latest articles on DEV Community by No Name (@0xgsmart). https://dev.to/0xgsmart https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F425832%2F298b8182-2db9-41a1-b5ce-75d64ba02db9.png https://dev.to/0xgsmart en No Name Sun, 03 May 2026 14:36:26 +0000 https://dev.to/0xgsmart/i-built-a-vs-code-extension-show-history-for-selection-4bcc https://dev.to/0xgsmart/i-built-a-vs-code-extension-show-history-for-selection-4bcc <h1> I Built a VS Code Extension to Bring IntelliJ’s “<a href="https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=menincode.show-history-for-selected-code&amp;ssr=false#review-details" rel="noopener noreferrer">Show History for Selection</a>” Experience </h1> <p>If you come from IntelliJ, you probably miss one super useful feature in VS Code:</p> <p><strong>Show history for selected lines.</strong></p> <p>I built a new extension to solve exactly that.</p> <h2> Meet: <strong>Show History for Selected Code</strong> </h2> <p>This extension helps you inspect Git history for a specific code selection, not just the whole file.</p> <h3> What it does </h3> <ul> <li>Shows commit history for the lines you selected</li> <li>Opens a side-by-side diff: <ul> <li> <strong>Parent</strong> (previous revision)</li> <li> <strong>Revision</strong> (selected commit)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Syncs scrolling between both sides for easier comparison</li> <li>Lets you resize the commits section</li> <li>Click a commit message to open full details in a modal</li> </ul> <h2> Why I built it </h2> <p>In day-to-day debugging and code review, I often ask:</p> <ul> <li>“Who changed this exact block?”</li> <li>“What did this snippet look like before?”</li> <li>“Why was this line introduced?”</li> </ul> <p><code>git blame</code> is useful, but it’s not enough when you want a clean visual timeline + commit-level diff focused on your selection.</p> <p>So I built this extension to make that workflow fast and visual.</p> <h2> How to use </h2> <ol> <li>Open any Git-tracked file in VS Code</li> <li>Select one or more lines</li> <li>Run command: <strong>Show History for Selection</strong> </li> <li>Pick a commit from the list</li> <li>Compare Parent vs Revision instantly</li> </ol> <h2> Technical notes </h2> <ul> <li>Built as a VS Code extension (TypeScript)</li> <li>Uses Git line-history queries and range fallback</li> <li>Optimized UI for quick investigation workflow</li> <li>Marketplace-ready packaging and branding</li> </ul> <h2> Who is this for? </h2> <ul> <li>Developers debugging regressions</li> <li>Reviewers investigating code changes</li> <li>Teams migrating from IntelliJ to VS Code/Cursor</li> <li>Anyone who wants better Git line-level visibility</li> </ul> <h2> Try it </h2> <p>If this sounds useful, give it a try and share feedback.</p> <p>I’d love to hear:</p> <ul> <li>What workflows you use it for</li> <li>Features you want next (filters, inline blame, keyboard shortcuts, etc.)</li> <li>Any edge cases in large repos</li> </ul> <h2> What I’m planning next </h2> <ul> <li>Better commit filtering/search</li> <li>Richer diff context options</li> <li>UX polish for huge files and long histories</li> <li>What workflows you use it for</li> <li>Features you want next (filters, inline blame, keyboard shortcuts, etc.)</li> <li>Any edge cases in large repos</li> </ul> <h2> What I’m planning next </h2> <ul> <li>Better commit filtering/search</li> <li>Richer diff context options</li> <li>UX polish for huge files and long histories</li> </ul> git vscode extensions ai