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Contributing to CodeChronicle

Thanks for taking the time to contribute! Here's how to get started.

Project structure

src/
  extension.ts      — activation, command registration
  gitService.ts     — all git operations (blame, log, diff, insights)
  genealogyPanel.ts — webview panel (HTML/CSS/JS)
out/                — compiled JavaScript (generated, do not edit)

Setting up locally

git clone https://github.com/Pranav140/CodeChronicle.git
cd CodeChronicle
npm install
npm run watch        # auto-compiles TypeScript on save

Press F5 in VS Code to open the Extension Development Host — a second VS Code window with the extension loaded. After editing source files, press Ctrl+R in that window to reload.

Making changes

Bug fix

  1. Reproduce the bug in the Extension Development Host
  2. Find the relevant file (gitService.ts for git logic, genealogyPanel.ts for UI)
  3. Fix it, compile (npm run compile), verify zero errors
  4. Test in the host window

New feature

  1. Open an issue first to discuss the idea
  2. Keep changes focused — one feature per PR
  3. Test on at least one real Git repository

Code conventions

  • TypeScript — all source files are .ts, no any types unless unavoidable
  • Security — never use innerHTML with user/git data; always use _escapeHtml()
  • CSP — all JS in the webview must be inside the <script nonce="..."> block; no inline onclick handlers
  • Git commands — use execAsync (promisified) for async operations; execSync only for synchronous necessities
  • Error handling — git commands can fail silently; always wrap in try/catch and return a sensible default

Submitting a PR

  1. Fork the repo and create a branch: git checkout -b feat/my-feature
  2. Make your changes
  3. Run npm run compile — must have zero errors
  4. Push and open a Pull Request against main
  5. Describe what changed and why

Reporting bugs

Open an issue with:

  • VS Code version
  • What you did (file type, number of lines selected)
  • What you expected vs what happened
  • Any error messages from the Output panel (Help → Toggle Developer Tools → Console)

Ideas for contribution

  • Support for more VCS (e.g. Mercurial)
  • Line-level blame gutter decorations
  • Filter timeline by author or date range
  • Export history as Markdown/HTML report
  • Dark/light theme toggle in the panel