Stage, commit, and amend — visually
Interactive Git Log shows every change in your working copy and turns staging, committing, and amending into single clicks inside VS Code.
Every change, visible at a glance
The moment you save a file, it appears in IGL's view of your working copy — the same information as git status, updated live. The color and icon next to each file tell you whether it was modified, added, or removed, and the opacity of the filename shows whether it's been staged for commit. Click any file to open it.
That sounds small, but it changes how you work: you stop polling git status in a terminal and start trusting the sidebar. Your repository state is simply always on screen.
Stage and unstage with one click
Hover over any file under uncommitted changes and IGL presents a row of action buttons: stage the file, unstage it, revert its modifications, or remove it entirely if it's newly added. Each button runs the corresponding Git command — no command line required, but nothing hidden from you either.
Staging is Git's rough draft mechanism: the index is where you assemble exactly what the next commit will contain, while your working tree can stay messy. A GUI makes this concept click, because you can see the two states side by side instead of inferring them from terminal output.
Commit and amend without the terminal
Underneath your uncommitted changes sit a Commit and an Amend button. Either opens the commit form sidebar, where you can write a properly detailed message — a real text area, not a cramped one-liner. When you're satisfied, the buttons at the bottom right create or amend the commit.
Amending deserves special mention: folding a fix into your last commit on the CLI (git commit --amend --no-edit) is the kind of incantation people google every time. In IGL it's the button next to Commit.
Progress and errors, in plain sight
While any command runs, progress information appears at the bottom of the screen — including the exact arguments IGL passed to Git. Errors show up in the same place. If you ever want to do the same operation manually, the recipe is right there.
Once your commits are made, the branch tree shows where they sit relative to origin/main — and if the history needs cleanup before review, the stack editor can reorder and squash them.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between commit and amend?
Commit creates a new commit from your staged changes. Amend folds the staged changes into the most recent commit instead, optionally updating its message — perfect for "oops, forgot a file" moments. Both are one button in IGL.
Does IGL run real Git commands?
Yes. Every button maps to a real Git command, and IGL displays the exact arguments it used at the bottom of the screen — so you can replicate anything on the CLI.
Can I unstage a file after staging it?
Yes — hover over the file and the unstage button appears, alongside buttons to revert modifications or remove newly added files.