Using Git in Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a source code editor developed by Microsoft, offering an alternative to the command line for managing your projects. One of its key features is integrating with Git, a version control system used for tracking changes made to your code.

To use Git in VS Code, you can clone your repository directly within the editor. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open VS Code and navigate to the folder where you want to clone your repository.

2. Click on 'File' > 'Open Folder' or press `Ctrl + K` then `Ctrl + O` to open a new folder in VS Code.

3. In the folder, click on 'Git: Clone Repository' from the command palette or use the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl + Shift + P`.

4. Enter the URL of your repository and select the branch you want to clone.

Once cloned, you can view various information about your repository within VS Code:

* Selected file: Displays a diff (difference) of the selected file.

* Commits list: Includes a list of commits made to the repository, along with details about each commit.

* Action buttons: Allows you to interact with the repository by committing changes, pushing or pulling files, and more.

* Files list: Displays all files in your repository.

* Branches list: Lists your Git branches.

Alternatively, you can use Sourcetree, a client developed by Atlassian, which provides an alternative to the command line for interacting with your Git repository. To clone your repository using Sourcetree:

1. Open Sourcetree and click on 'File' > 'Clone Repository'.

2. Enter the URL of your repository and select the branch you want to clone.

3. Choose a destination path for your cloned repository, or update the bookmark name if necessary.

4. Click on 'Clone in Sourcetree' to start the cloning process.

Once cloned, your new folder will contain all files and metadata required by Git to track changes made to your source files. The clone is successful when you see a new sub-directory appear on your local drive with the same name as your Bitbucket repository.

By using VS Code or Sourcetree, you can easily manage your Git repositories and collaborate with team members on your projects.

Git in visual studio code