How to Compare 2 Branches in VSCode
When working on a version control system like Git, it’s essential to keep track of different branches and understand the changes made in each branch. Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a popular code editor that integrates well with Git, making it easier to manage your codebase. One of the common tasks in Git is to compare two branches to see the differences between them. In this article, we will guide you on how to compare two branches in VSCode.
1. Open VSCode and navigate to your project folder.
2. Open the Command Palette by pressing `Ctrl+Shift+P` (or `Cmd+Shift+P` on macOS) and type “Git: Compare with Current Branch” to open the Git Compare tool.
3. You will see a list of branches available in your repository. Select the branch you want to compare with the current branch by clicking on it.
4. Once you have selected the branch, VSCode will automatically open a new tab with the differences between the two branches. The left side of the tab will show the changes in the selected branch, while the right side will show the changes in the current branch.
5. To navigate through the differences, you can use the arrow keys or click on the specific lines to expand or collapse the changes.
6. If you want to view the differences in a more detailed manner, you can click on the “More Details” link at the top of the comparison window. This will provide you with a side-by-side comparison of the files and their changes.
7. If you want to create a pull request for the selected branch, you can click on the “Create Pull Request” button at the top of the comparison window. This will open a new tab with the pull request form, where you can fill in the necessary details and submit the request.
8. If you want to stage specific changes for commit, you can right-click on the file or line and select “Stage Changes” or “Unstage Changes” to add or remove the changes from the staging area.
9. To resolve conflicts between the branches, you can click on the “Resolve Conflicts” button at the top of the comparison window. This will open a new tab where you can manually resolve the conflicts by editing the conflicting files.
By following these steps, you can easily compare two branches in VSCode and understand the changes made in each branch. This can help you keep track of your codebase and ensure that you are working on the correct branch before merging or pushing your changes.
