Git Integration

Manage your version control workflows directly within Zed

Reading time: 14 minutes

Last updated: October 2023

Git Integration in Zed

Zed provides seamless Git integration to help you manage your version control workflows without leaving the editor. From viewing file status to resolving merge conflicts, Zed's Git features are designed to make version control intuitive and efficient.

Key Git features in Zed include:

Visual indicators for file changes and status
Inline diff views to review changes
Branch management
Commit, push, and pull operations
Conflict resolution tools
Blame and history viewing

Git Status Indicators

Zed displays Git status information throughout the interface:

File Status in Project Panel

The project panel shows Git status for each file using color and symbols:

Green: New files (untracked)
Blue: Modified files
Red: Deleted files
Yellow: Renamed or moved files
Purple: Merge conflicts

Status Bar Information

The status bar shows Git branch information and status:

Current branch name
Sync status (ahead/behind remote)
Number of changed files

Click on the branch name in the status bar to quickly switch branches or perform common Git operations.

Viewing Changes

Gutter Indicators

The editor gutter (margin) shows line-by-line change status:

Green bar: Added lines
Blue bar: Modified lines
Red triangle: Deleted lines

Inline Diff View

To see detailed changes within a file:

Open Diff View

Click on a changed line's gutter indicator or press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Show Changes" to see the diff view.
Review Changes

The diff view shows a side-by-side comparison of the current state and the last committed version.
Navigate Changes

Use Alt↑ and Alt↓ to jump between changed regions.

Common Git Operations

Staging Changes

Add files or changes to the staging area:

Stage a File: Right-click on a file in the project panel and select "Stage Changes"
Stage Selected Lines: Select lines in the editor, right-click, and choose "Stage Selected Lines"
Stage All Changes: Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Stage All Changes"

Committing

Commit your staged changes:

Open Commit Dialog

Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Commit" or click on the Git icon in the status bar.
Enter Commit Message

Type a descriptive commit message in the commit dialog.
Commit

Click "Commit" or press CtrlEnter to finalize the commit.

Pushing and Pulling

Synchronize with remote repositories:

Push: Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Push"
Pull: Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Pull"
Fetch: Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Fetch"

Zed's status bar displays pull/push status, showing how many commits you're ahead or behind the remote branch.

Working with Branches

Viewing Branches

See all available branches:

Click on the branch name in the status bar
Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Checkout to..."

Creating New Branches

Open Branch Dialog

Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Create Branch" or click the branch name in the status bar and select "Create new branch...".
Name the Branch

Enter a name for your new branch.
Select Base Branch

Choose which existing branch to base your new branch on, typically main or master.

Switching Branches

Change to a different branch:

Click the branch name in the status bar and select a branch
Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Checkout to..." then select a branch

You can create and checkout a new branch in one step with the "Git: Create and Checkout Branch" command.

Handling Merge Conflicts

Identifying Conflicts

When a merge conflict occurs:

Conflicted files are marked with a purple indicator in the project panel
The status bar shows a conflict indicator
Conflict markers appear in the affected files

Resolving Conflicts

Zed provides tools to help resolve merge conflicts:

Open Conflict Editor

Open the conflicted file to see the conflict markers and in-editor resolution tools.
Choose Between Changes

Zed displays "Current Changes" (yours) and "Incoming Changes" (theirs) with buttons to accept either version or manually edit the file to combine both.
Mark as Resolved

After editing the file to resolve the conflict, save it and stage the changes to mark the conflict as resolved.

Remember to complete the merge by creating a merge commit after resolving all conflicts.

Git History and Blame

Viewing File History

See the history of changes to a file:

Right-click on a file in the project panel and select "Git: Show File History"
Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Show File History" with the file open

Git Blame

See who last modified each line of a file:

Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Toggle Blame"
Right-click in the editor and select "Git: Toggle Blame"

Click on blame information to see the full commit details and navigate to that specific commit in the history.

Advanced Git Features

Interactive Rebase

Reorganize, combine, or modify past commits:

Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Interactive Rebase"
Follow the interactive prompts to reorder, squash, or edit commits

Stashing

Temporarily store changes to work on something else:

Create Stash: ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Stash Changes"
Apply Stash: ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Apply Stash"
Pop Stash: ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Pop Stash"

Cherry-Picking

Apply specific commits from one branch to another:

Press ⌘ShiftP and type "Git: Cherry Pick"
Select the commit(s) you want to apply to your current branch

Git Configuration in Zed

Git Settings

Customize Git behavior in Zed:

Press ⌘, to open Settings
Search for "git" to find Git-related settings

Common Git Settings


    json
    

{
  "git.enabled": true,
  "git.autofetch": true,
  "git.confirmSync": false,
  "git.enableSmartCommit": true,
  "git.showInlineBlame": true
}

Zed respects your global Git configuration files (like .gitconfig), so your username, email, and authentication settings are automatically applied.

What's Next?

Now that you've learned how to use Git within Zed, you're ready to explore how to enhance Zed's functionality with extensions and plugins that can customize your development experience.