The method of creating and switching branches in VS Code is as follows: First, open the Git sidebar, click the source control icon in the toolbar on the left or use the shortcut key Ctrl Shift G (Mac is Cmd Shift G); secondly, when creating a new branch, click the top branch name and select "Create branch". After entering a meaningful name, VS Code will automatically switch to the branch; finally, when switching to an existing branch, click the branch name again, select "Switch to..." and select the target branch from the list. If there are conflicting uncommitted changes, you can choose to commit or save changes to avoid problems.
Creating and switching branches in VS Code is straightforward once you get the hang of it. The Git integration is pretty solid, and most of the common tasks can be done without ever touching the terminal — though you still can if you prefer.
Open the Git Sidebar
The first thing you'll want to do is open the Git sidebar in VS Code. You can do that by clicking the source control icon on the left-hand toolbar (it looks like a branch with three dots) or using the shortcut Ctrl Shift G
(or Cmd Shift G
on Mac).
Once open, you'll see a list of changes (if any), along with a text box at the top for commit messages. At the top of this panel, there's also a dropdown showing the current branch. This is where most of your branch-related actions will start.
Create a New Branch
To create a new branch:
- Click the current branch name at the top of the Git panel.
- In the dropdown menu, select "Create Branch" or type the name of a new branch when prompted.
- Give your new branch a meaningful name — something like
feature/login-flow
orbugfix/cart-issue
.
VS Code will switch to the new branch automatically after creating it. If you're working with a team or collaborating on a project, make sure your branch name clearly reflects what you're working on so others can understand its purpose.
Switch Between Branches
Switching between existing branches is just as simple:
- Click the current branch name in the Git panel again.
- This time, choose "Checkout to..." from the dropdown.
- A list of available branches will appear — either local or fetched from the remote repository.
Select the one you want to switch to. VS Code will update your working directory with the files from that branch. Keep in mind: if you have uncommitted changes, they might carry over depending on whether they conflict with the target branch.
Stash or Commit Before Switching?
If you try to switch branches but have unsaved changes that conflict with the other branch, VS Code will warn you. At that point, you have two options:
- Commit your changes before switching.
- Use Stash to temporarily save your changes without committing them.
You can stash via the Git panel by clicking the ...
(more actions) button and choosing Stash > Stash Changes . Later, when you return to your original branch, you can apply the stashed changes again.
This is especially useful during quick context switches — like when you need to fix a bug or test something real quick.
That's basically all you need to know to manage branches in VS Code. It's not complicated, but knowing how to handle changes and stashing helps avoid surprises.
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