Environment:
- VS Code Version: 1.120.0 (latest stable)
- Copilot Chat Extension: 0.41
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Setup: multi-root workspace with git worktree
Current behavior:
The "Files" tab in the Copilot CLI agent panel exclusively shows files with uncommitted git changes (Modified/Untracked). Clean, committed files are invisible. This is functionally identical to git status output in tree form.
Expected behavior:
The "Files" tab should show the full workspace file tree — all files, regardless of git status — with git decorations (M/U/staged indicators) overlaid inline, similar to how the VS Code Explorer sidebar already works.
The "Changes" tab already provides a focused diff/commit workflow view. Having two tabs where both only show git-changed files, while neither shows the full workspace, is a significant UX gap.
Why this matters:
This is most painful in worktree setups — the exact case where the Copilot CLI panel is most useful (parallel branch work, isolated sessions per feature). A worktree checkout only contains files for its specific branch. Any file that exists on main but not the current branch is completely invisible, even if it's directly relevant to the task. Adding the main repo as a second workspace root does not help — those files are clean/committed and therefore also hidden.
The result: the agent has full programmatic access to all files (via tools), but the human working alongside it has no visual file browser at all within this panel.
Proposed fix:
Add a view toggle or a third tab — "Explorer" or "All Files" — that renders the full multi-root workspace tree with git decorations. The "Files" tab can remain as-is for users who want the focused git-status view.
Alternatively: make the "Files" tab default to full tree view, with git-changed files highlighted rather than being the only visible items.
Environment:
Current behavior:
The "Files" tab in the Copilot CLI agent panel exclusively shows files with uncommitted git changes (Modified/Untracked). Clean, committed files are invisible. This is functionally identical to
git statusoutput in tree form.Expected behavior:
The "Files" tab should show the full workspace file tree — all files, regardless of git status — with git decorations (M/U/staged indicators) overlaid inline, similar to how the VS Code Explorer sidebar already works.
The "Changes" tab already provides a focused diff/commit workflow view. Having two tabs where both only show git-changed files, while neither shows the full workspace, is a significant UX gap.
Why this matters:
This is most painful in worktree setups — the exact case where the Copilot CLI panel is most useful (parallel branch work, isolated sessions per feature). A worktree checkout only contains files for its specific branch. Any file that exists on
mainbut not the current branch is completely invisible, even if it's directly relevant to the task. Adding the main repo as a second workspace root does not help — those files are clean/committed and therefore also hidden.The result: the agent has full programmatic access to all files (via tools), but the human working alongside it has no visual file browser at all within this panel.
Proposed fix:
Add a view toggle or a third tab — "Explorer" or "All Files" — that renders the full multi-root workspace tree with git decorations. The "Files" tab can remain as-is for users who want the focused git-status view.
Alternatively: make the "Files" tab default to full tree view, with git-changed files highlighted rather than being the only visible items.