Feature: Add git repo section to the sidebar (discussion)

[yaira2]

What feature or improvement do you think would benefit Files?

Microsoft is adding a git section to the File Explorer sidebar and considering we're in the midst of working on our own git integration, it's a good time to work on this feature.

Requirements

• Add git section to the sidebar (off by default unless we detect existing repos on the first start)

Files Version

v2.4.82

Windows Version

Windows 11

Comments

No response

[hecksmosis]

I'll work on this

[yaira2]

Thanks!

[yaira2]

We're moving this back to the planning stage to reevaluate if we still want to implement this.

[0x5bfa]

I like this idea. If user added a repo to the favorites, we could separate favorite repos to git section.

[yaira2]

The original idea was to automatically detect repos on the device, but after giving it some thought it doesn't really seem like a good idea. A different approach is to detect repos via the logged in GitHub account, but that's a bit too niche for us to consider right now.

[0x5bfa]

That's true.

[DhananjayPorwal]

• Users should be able to set a custom limit for the number of repositories visible in the side panel.
• There should be dedicated options to open a repository's folder in VS Code, and the terminal, similar to the cut, copy, and paste buttons in the file explorer.
• Users should have the ability to change the location of each repository's folder.

Reference: #15367

[0x5bfa]

@yaira2 We’re making a Integrations settings page(at least similar one). Why not use it for this, having Source Control settings section and let user Browse source folder limitlessly. But speaking of showing them, we can also have a setting of maximum repos to show in the settings section there. What do you think?

[yaira2]

@yaira2 We’re making a Integrations settings page(at least similar one). Why not use it for this, having Source Control settings section and let user Browse source folder limitlessly. But speaking of showing them, we can also have a setting of maximum repos to show in the settings section there. What do you think?

Do you mean for users to manually select repos to show? It's not as convenient as automatically detecting them, but it's more practical.

[DhananjayPorwal]

@yaira2

• There should be dedicated options to open a repository's folder in VS Code, and the terminal, similar to the cut, copy, and paste buttons in the file explorer.

What do you think about this? Implementing this is straightforward and highly beneficial.

[yaira2]

There should be dedicated options to open a repository's folder in VS Code

There is already an option on the status bar, and we're working on support for extending this feature to include other programs and IDEs.

[DhananjayPorwal]

But there is no option to open terminal in the git folder...

[yaira2]

We're working on this from several directions

1. Windows Terminal uses the new shell extension format which isn't supported in Files just yet #8251
2. We're working on adding support for Terminal in the "Open" flyout on the Status Bar
3. We're working on opening Terminal as a pane within Files
4. There are keyboard shortcuts:

• "ctrl + `" opens Terminal
• "ctrl + shift + `" opens Terminal as admin