Enhance Code History Viewing in VSCode with the GitLens Plugin

### 2.1 Code History Inspection #### 2.1.1 Inline Code History GitLens offers the inline code history feature, which can display the history of a code line right above it. When hovering over a code line, GitLens pops up a window that includes the commit history of that line of code. This window shows the author of the code, the commit time, and the commit message. ``` // This is a code example int main() { // This is a comment return 0; } ``` When hovering over the code line `int main()`, GitLens pops up a window that includes the commit history of that line: ``` Commit: ***abcdef Author: John Doe Date: 2023-03-08 Message: Added a new function to calculate the average of a list of numbers. ``` #### 2.1.2 Code File History In addition to inline code history, GitLens offers code file history functionality, which can display the history of a code file. When hovering over a code file, GitLens pops up a window that contains all the commit history of that file. This window shows the author, commit time, and commit message for each commit. ### 2. Core Features of GitLens As a powerful Git visualization tool, GitLens offers a wealth of features to enhance developers' Git workflow. This chapter will delve into the core features of GitLens, including code history inspection, code navigation, and code analysis. #### 2.1 Code History Inspection GitLens allows developers to easily inspect code history, thereby better understanding the evolution and changes of the code. It provides two primary ways to inspect code history: ##### 2.1.1 Inline Code History GitLens adds an inline history indicator in the code editor, showing the last change information for each line, including commit hash, author, and timestamp. This makes it easy for developers to quickly understand the change history of a specific code line without leaving the current file. ##### 2.1.2 Code File History GitLens also provides a code file history view, allowing developers to view the complete history of a file. This view displays all the commits of the file, including author, commit message, and differences. Developers can easily browse through the history to understand how the file has changed over time. ### 2.2 Code Navigation GitLens enhances code navigation, enabling developers to quickly find and jump to related elements in the code. ##### 2.2.1 Reference Lookup GitLens offers powerful reference lookup functionality, allowing developers to quickly find references to a specific symbol or function in the code. Simply hover the cursor over the symbol, and GitLens will display the location of all references to that symbol in the project. ##### 2.2.2 Code Jumping GitLens also allows developers to easily jump to a specific line, function, or file in the code. Developers only need to hold down the `Ctrl` key and click on the code element they wish to jump to, and GitLens will immediately jump to that location. ### 2.3 Code Analysis GitLens offers various code analysis tools to help developers identify potential issues and areas for improvement in the code. ##### 2.3.1 Code Statistics GitLens provides code statistics showing the number of different languages, files, and lines in the project. These statistics help developers understand the scale and complexity of the project. ##### 2.3.2 Code Quality Checking GitLens integrates various code quality checking tools, such as ESLint and JSHint. These tools can scan the code and identify potential issues, such as syntax errors, code style violations, and security vulnerabilities. Developers can use these checks to improve code quality and reduce errors. # 3. Tips for Using GitLens ### 3.1 Customizing GitLens Settings #### 3.1.1 Interface Settings **Steps:** 1. Open the GitLens settings page (Preferences > GitLens). 2. In the "Interface" tab, you can customize the following settings: - **Code History Display:** Controls the display of inline code history and code file history. - **Code Navigation:** Configures the shortcuts and behavior for code jumping and reference lookup. - **Code Analysis:** Adjusts the display options for code statistics and code quality checks. **Example:** ``` // Enable author avatars for inline code history "gitlens.codeLens.authorAvatar": true, // Set code navigation shortcut to Ctrl + Click "gitlens.codeLens.na ```