Git is an essential tool for version control, whether you are a developer or an IT pro. Git allows engineers to track changes, collaborate, and manage their code effectively. However, for beginners, navigating Git can be daunting. Enter GitLens, a powerful Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension designed to enhance Git capabilities and simplify Git management.

As a JavaScript developer, you’re probably in VS Code every day to write code, identify issues, and handle all the other tasks necessary to keep your projects running smoothly. With the right extensions, VS Code evolves from a simple code editor into a productivity powerhouse – and many of them are completely free. Whether you’re debugging, formatting code, or managing dependencies, there’s an extension to make your life easier.

The promise of version control for teams is enticing: better collaboration, more organized workflows, and easier tracking of changes – just to name a few. But, as with anything else, it’s not a perfect fix. Merge conflicts, inconsistent coding practices, and communication issues are just a few of the all-too-common hurdles that teams can face on their version control journey.

Article updated July 2024 Source control, aka version control, is the method of tracking and managing changes to software code. Source Control Management (SCM) systems offer a running history of code changes and can be particularly helpful for teams of developers making changes to the same files. As a critical aspect of responsible software development, source control helps developers track code changes, see complete revision history, and revert back to a previous version of a project if needed.

As a full-stack developer working on complex web applications, I often face challenges with tracking code changes, understanding commit histories, and managing branches. GitLens for VS Code has completely changed how I handle these tasks. It helps me quickly identify who made changes, when they were made, and why, all without leaving my editor, saving me countless hours of digging through commit logs and trying to piece together a project’s history.