[FEATURE] Support multiple notes on a single line

[jnahian]

Feature Description

Add the ability to attach multiple context notes to a single line of code, allowing developers to add different types of annotations, comments, or references to the same line without conflicts.

Problem/Motivation

Currently, the extension only supports one note per line. When working on complex code, developers often need to add multiple types of annotations to the same line:

• A TODO comment
• A reference to related code
• A bug note
• Documentation or explanation
• A link to an issue or PR

Having to choose which note to attach or spreading them across adjacent lines reduces the effectiveness of the note-taking system.

Proposed Solution

Allow multiple notes to be attached to a single line with the following features:

1. Visual Indicators: Show a count badge or stacked icon in the gutter when multiple notes exist
2. Note List View: When clicking on a line with multiple notes, display all notes in a list or panel
3. Note Types/Categories: Optionally allow categorizing notes (TODO, BUG, REFERENCE, NOTE, etc.)
4. Individual Management: Each note can be edited or deleted independently
5. Quick Add: Provide a quick way to add another note to a line that already has one

Alternative Solutions

1. Adjacent Lines: Continue using adjacent lines for multiple notes (current workaround)
2. Combined Notes: Merge all notes into a single text field with manual formatting
3. Linked Notes: Create a primary note with links to secondary notes stored elsewhere
4. Hierarchical Notes: Support nested/child notes under a parent note

Use Cases

1. Code Review: Add both a question and a suggested improvement to the same line
2. Bug Tracking: Attach a bug description and a link to the issue tracker on the problematic line
3. Learning: Add both an explanation and a reference link when studying unfamiliar code
4. Refactoring: Mark a line with both a TODO and a note about why the change is needed
5. Collaboration: Multiple team members can add their own notes to the same line without overwriting each other's comments

Examples

Similar features in other tools:

• Google Docs: Multiple comments can be attached to the same text selection
• GitHub PR Reviews: Multiple review comments can target the same line
• Notion: Multiple comments can be added to the same block
• JetBrains IDEs: Bookmarks and breakpoints can coexist on the same line

Additional Context

Possible UI approaches:

1. Gutter Badge: Show "2" or "3" badge when multiple notes exist
2. Stacked Icons: Display slightly offset icons in the gutter
3. Expandable Panel: Click to expand a list of all notes for that line
4. Hover Preview: Show all notes in a tooltip on hover
5. Side Panel List: Display all notes for the current line in the sidebar

Data Structure Consideration:
The storage format would need to change from:

line -> note

to:

line -> [note1, note2, note3, ...]

Implementation Considerations

Technical approach:

1. Storage Layer: Modify storageManager.ts to store an array of notes per line instead of a single note
2. Decoration System: Update gutter decorations to show count or stacked indicators
3. UI Components: Create a note list component for viewing/managing multiple notes
4. Migration: Provide backward compatibility for existing single-note data
5. Performance: Ensure efficient rendering when lines have many notes

Potential challenges:

• Maintaining backward compatibility with existing notes
• UI/UX design for managing multiple notes without cluttering the interface
• Performance with large numbers of notes per line

Willing to Contribute?

Would you be willing to submit a pull request for this feature?

• Yes, I'd like to implement this
• I can help with testing
• I'd like to help with documentation
• No, just suggesting the idea