All Features

Multi-File Diff View

View commit changes like a pull request—all files in one scrollable view.

Overview

When you want to see all changes from a commit, GitSpectra opens VS Code's native multi-file diff editor. This gives you a PR-like experience: scroll through all changed files in a single, unified view.

Screenshot

VS Code multi-diff editor showing multiple files in a scrollable unified view

How to Open

From Activity Feed

Click the "View Full Diff in VS Code" button on any commit:

Screenshot

'View Full Diff in VS Code' button in the Activity Feed

From Commit Details

When viewing expanded commit details, click the diff button:

Screenshot

Diff button in the expanded commit details view

Features

Scrollable Unified View

All file diffs appear in one continuous, scrollable pane:

Screenshot

Scrollable diff view showing multiple files with headers

  • Each file has a header with the filename
  • Scroll smoothly between files
  • No tab switching needed

Collapse & Expand

Click on any file header to collapse or expand that file's diff:

Screenshot

Collapsed and expanded file sections in the diff view

Focus on the files that matter most.

Full Syntax Highlighting

Diffs use VS Code's native syntax highlighting for your language:

Screenshot

Syntax-highlighted code in the diff view

Navigation

Use keyboard shortcuts to navigate:

ShortcutAction
F7Go to next change
Shift+F7Go to previous change
Ctrl/Cmd+DownNext file
Ctrl/Cmd+UpPrevious file

Individual File Diffs

For a single file, GitSpectra opens a standard VS Code diff tab:

Screenshot

Standard VS Code diff view for a single file

Click any file in the Activity Feed's file list to see just that file's changes.

Comparing Versions

GitSpectra compares:

Left Side

Parent commit (commit^)

Right Side

The commit (commit)

This shows exactly what changed in that specific commit.

Requirements

The multi-file diff view requires:

  • VS Code 1.86+ (January 2024 or later)
  • No additional extensions needed—this is native VS Code functionality

Fallback for Older Versions

If you're on an older VS Code version, GitSpectra falls back to:

  1. Showing a file picker
  2. Opening individual file diffs

Technical Details

GitSpectra uses VS Code's native _workbench.openMultiDiffEditor command with:

  • Git scheme URIs (git:) for file content at specific refs
  • Automatic parent commit detection
  • Proper handling of added, modified, and deleted files

No external extensions required—works entirely with VS Code's built-in capabilities.

Ready to prevent merge conflicts?

GitSpectra is free and open source.

Install for VS Code