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Git Feature README & Roadmap

Why this exists

This document defines the product scope, UX principles, and implementation roadmap for the Git section in the Context Pane.

Product Goal

Deliver a simple, reliable Git experience inside CopilotForge so users can:

  • see repository status quickly,
  • review file-level changes,
  • create quality commits (with optional Copilot message generation),
  • view recent history without leaving the app.

Non-Goals (MVP)

  • Full Git client parity (rebase/cherry-pick/stash UI).
  • Complex merge conflict resolution UI.
  • Advanced graph interactions (drag, re-layout, branch compare matrix).

UX Principles

  1. Fast status first: Always show branch + clean/dirty state immediately.
  2. Single-pane workflow: Status, changes, commit, history in one scrollable panel.
  3. Safe defaults: Disable destructive actions when invalid; show clear errors.
  4. Low cognitive load: Keep actions obvious and labels explicit.
  5. Progressive complexity: MVP first, advanced controls later.

Information Architecture (Panel)

  1. Repository status header
  2. Working tree changes list
  3. Commit composer
  4. Recent history list + mini graph

Progress Update (2026-02-26)

Completed

  • P0 Status + Init
    • Branch and clean/dirty status shown in panel header.
    • Init Git flow works and refreshes state immediately.
    • Status refresh now triggers on panel open, project switch, and chat completion.
  • P1 Change Summary (core)
    • File changes grouped by A / M / D.
    • Per-file +added / -deleted displayed.
    • Added-file text fallback counts lines when git numstat returns 0/0.
  • P2 Commit Workflow (adapted)
    • Commit composer exists with auto-generated message when left empty.
    • Empty-message generation now uses Copilot prompt flow with selected user model.
    • Commit operation stages all changes internally before commit.
    • Added cooldown after AI connection failure to avoid repeated sidecar errors/log noise.
  • P3 History (minimal)
    • Recent commit list (message, short SHA, author, relative time) is live.
    • Recent commits section is capped to 3 visible rows with scroll for more.

In Progress

  • P3 Graph lane
    • Vertical commit graph lane (dots/lines) not implemented yet.

Not Started

  • P4 Quality-of-Life
    • Amend, branch create/switch, ahead/behind, push/pull actions.

Implemented UX Decisions (Intentional)

  • Removed All / Staged / Unstaged tabs from the panel (always shows all changes).
  • Removed Stage All / Unstage All buttons from UI.
  • Commit now stages all changes automatically to keep flow single-action.

These decisions were made intentionally during implementation to keep the panel minimal and reduce user friction.

Roadmap (Priority Ordered)

P0 — Repository Status (Critical)

User value: Know repo state at a glance.

Scope:

  • Show current branch.
  • Show status badge: Clean or N files changed.
  • Show repository path summary.
  • Show “Init Git” if no repository exists.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Status loads on panel open and project switch.
  • Init Git creates repository and refreshes status.
  • Errors are surfaced with actionable text.

P1 — Change Summary (Critical)

User value: Understand what changed before committing.

Scope:

  • List changed files grouped by state (A, M, D).
  • Display per-file +added/-deleted line counts.
  • Add quick filter tabs: All, Staged, Unstaged.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Counts reflect git diff output accurately.
  • Empty state shown when no changes exist.

P2 — Commit Workflow (Critical)

User value: Make commits without terminal usage.

Scope:

  • Commit message input field.
  • Stage All / Unstage All actions.
  • Commit action with disabled state when invalid.
  • Auto Generate message button (Copilot-assisted from staged diff).

Acceptance criteria:

  • Commit succeeds only when there are staged changes and non-empty message.
  • If message is empty and user taps Auto Generate, message is inserted, not auto-committed.
  • User-edited message is never overwritten implicitly.

P3 — History + Simple Graph (High)

User value: See what happened recently.

Scope:

  • Show last 10–20 commits (message, author, relative time, short SHA).
  • Add lightweight vertical commit graph lane (simple dots/lines).

Acceptance criteria:

  • History renders in under 500ms for typical repos.
  • Graph is stable and readable; no interactive complexity required.

P4 — Quality-of-Life (Medium)

User value: Reduce context switches.

Scope:

  • Amend last commit.
  • Create/switch branch.
  • Ahead/behind indicator.
  • Push/Pull status + actions.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Branch and remote operations show clear success/failure messages.
  • Loading/progress states prevent duplicate requests.

Copilot-Assisted Commit Message Rules

  • Input: staged diff summary + changed file names.
  • Output: concise, actionable commit message.
  • Optional style toggle:
    • Plain sentence (default)
    • Conventional commits (feat:, fix:, chore:)
  • No auto-commit side effects from generation.

Error Handling Requirements

  • Distinguish:
    • Not a git repository
    • Git executable missing
    • Permission denied
    • Nothing to commit
  • Provide recoverable actions where possible (Init Git, Retry, Open folder).

Performance Requirements

  • Repository status refresh target: < 300ms median.
  • History load target: < 500ms median.
  • All git operations off main thread.

Telemetry (Optional but Recommended)

  • git_panel_opened
  • git_status_refreshed (latency + result)
  • git_commit_generated_message
  • git_commit_success / git_commit_failed

Suggested Implementation Order (Engineering)

  1. ✅ Stabilize status + init flow.
  2. ✅ Add changed-file summary + line stats.
  3. ✅ Add commit composer (adapted single-action flow).
  4. ⏳ Add history list + mini graph (list done, graph pending).
  5. ⏳ Add QoL branch/remote features.

Current Baseline Notes

  • Existing implementation now includes status, grouped changes, commit composer, AI-assisted empty-message generation, and minimal recent history list.
  • Remaining milestones are graph visualization and branch/remote quality-of-life actions.