Add recently used branches feature for PR creation

- Added RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES state key and RecentlyUsedBranchesState interface
- Added RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES_COUNT setting key (default: 5, range: 0-20)
- Added setting in package.json with localization
- Implemented getRecentlyUsedBranches() and saveRecentlyUsedBranch() helper methods
- Modified branchPicks() to show recently used branches at the top with separators
- Added calls to save base branch when selected and when PR is created

Co-authored-by: alexr00 <38270282+alexr00@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: Copilot

package.json

@@ -198,6 +198,13 @@
 					"minimum": 1000,
 					"markdownDescription": "%githubPullRequests.branchListTimeout.description%"
 				},
+				"githubPullRequests.recentlyUsedBranchesCount": {
+					"type": "number",
+					"default": 5,
+					"minimum": 0,
+					"maximum": 20,
+					"markdownDescription": "%githubPullRequests.recentlyUsedBranchesCount.description%"
+				},
 				"githubPullRequests.remotes": {
 					"type": "array",
 					"default": [

package.nls.json

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 		]
 	},
 	"githubPullRequests.branchListTimeout.description": "Maximum time in milliseconds to wait when fetching the list of branches for pull request creation. Repositories with thousands of branches may need a higher value to ensure all branches (including the default branch) are retrieved. Minimum value is 1000 (1 second).",
+	"githubPullRequests.recentlyUsedBranchesCount.description": "The maximum number of recently used base branches to track and show at the top of the branch picker when creating a pull request. Set to 0 to disable this feature.",
 	"githubPullRequests.codingAgent.description": "Enables integration with the asynchronous Copilot coding agent. The '#copilotCodingAgent' tool will be available in agent mode when this setting is enabled.",
 	"githubPullRequests.codingAgent.uiIntegration.description": "Enables UI integration within VS Code to create new coding agent sessions.",
 	"githubPullRequests.codingAgent.autoCommitAndPush.description": "Allow automatic git operations (commit, push) to be performed when starting a coding agent session",

src/common/settingKeys.ts

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export const PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE = 'githubPullRequests';
 export const TERMINAL_LINK_HANDLER = 'terminalLinksHandler';
 export const BRANCH_PUBLISH = 'createOnPublishBranch';
 export const BRANCH_LIST_TIMEOUT = 'branchListTimeout';
+export const RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES_COUNT = 'recentlyUsedBranchesCount';
 export const USE_REVIEW_MODE = 'useReviewMode';
 export const FILE_LIST_LAYOUT = 'fileListLayout';
 export const HIDE_VIEWED_FILES = 'hideViewedFiles';

src/extensionState.ts

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export const NEVER_SHOW_PULL_NOTIFICATION = 'github.pullRequest.pullNotification
 export const REPO_KEYS = 'github.pullRequest.repos';
 export const PREVIOUS_CREATE_METHOD = 'github.pullRequest.previousCreateMethod';
 export const LAST_USED_EMAIL = 'github.pullRequest.lastUsedEmail';
+export const RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES = 'github.pullRequest.recentlyUsedBranches';
 
 export interface RepoState {
 	mentionableUsers?: IAccount[];
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ export interface ReposState {
 	repos: { [ownerAndRepo: string]: RepoState };
 }
 
+export interface RecentlyUsedBranchesState {
+	branches: { [ownerAndRepo: string]: string[] };
+}
+
 export function setSyncedKeys(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 	context.globalState.setKeysForSync([NEVER_SHOW_PULL_NOTIFICATION]);
 }

src/github/createPRViewProvider.ts

@@ -34,13 +34,14 @@ import {
 	PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE,
 	PULL_REQUEST_DESCRIPTION,
 	PULL_REQUEST_LABELS,
-	PUSH_BRANCH
+	PUSH_BRANCH,
+	RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES_COUNT
 } from '../common/settingKeys';
 import { ITelemetry } from '../common/telemetry';
 import { asPromise, compareIgnoreCase, formatError, promiseWithTimeout } from '../common/utils';
 import { generateUuid } from '../common/uuid';
 import { IRequestMessage, WebviewViewBase } from '../common/webview';
-import { PREVIOUS_CREATE_METHOD } from '../extensionState';
+import { PREVIOUS_CREATE_METHOD, RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES, RecentlyUsedBranchesState } from '../extensionState';
 import { CreatePullRequestDataModel } from '../view/createPullRequestDataModel';
 
 const ISSUE_CLOSING_KEYWORDS = new RegExp('closes|closed|close|fixes|fixed|fix|resolves|resolved|resolve\s$', 'i'); // https://docs.github.com/en/issues/tracking-your-work-with-issues/linking-a-pull-request-to-an-issue#linking-a-pull-request-to-an-issue-using-a-keyword
@@ -133,6 +134,43 @@ export abstract class BaseCreatePullRequestViewProvider<T extends BasePullReques
 		return repo.getRepoAccessAndMergeMethods(refetch);
 	}
 
+	protected getRecentlyUsedBranches(owner: string, repositoryName: string): string[] {
+		const maxCount = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration(PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE).get<number>(RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES_COUNT, 5);
+		if (maxCount === 0) {
+			return [];
+		}
+
+		const repoKey = `${owner}/${repositoryName}`;
+		const state = this._folderRepositoryManager.context.workspaceState.get<RecentlyUsedBranchesState>(RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES, { branches: {} });
+		return state.branches[repoKey] || [];
+	}
+
+	protected saveRecentlyUsedBranch(owner: string, repositoryName: string, branchName: string): void {
+		const maxCount = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration(PR_SETTINGS_NAMESPACE).get<number>(RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES_COUNT, 5);
+		if (maxCount === 0) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const repoKey = `${owner}/${repositoryName}`;
+		const state = this._folderRepositoryManager.context.workspaceState.get<RecentlyUsedBranchesState>(RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES, { branches: {} });
+
+		// Get the current list for this repo
+		let recentBranches = state.branches[repoKey] || [];
+
+		// Remove the branch if it's already in the list
+		recentBranches = recentBranches.filter(b => b !== branchName);
+
+		// Add it to the front
+		recentBranches.unshift(branchName);
+
+		// Limit to maxCount
+		recentBranches = recentBranches.slice(0, maxCount);
+
+		// Save back to state
+		state.branches[repoKey] = recentBranches;
+		this._folderRepositoryManager.context.workspaceState.update(RECENTLY_USED_BRANCHES, state);
+	}
+
 	private initializeWhenVisibleDisposable: vscode.Disposable | undefined;
 	public async initializeParams(reset: boolean = false): Promise<void> {
 		if (this._view?.visible === false && this.initializeWhenVisibleDisposable === undefined) {
@@ -821,24 +859,60 @@ export class CreatePullRequestViewProvider extends BaseCreatePullRequestViewProv
 			// For the compare, we only want to show local branches.
 			branches = (await this._folderRepositoryManager.repository.getBranches({ remote: false })).filter(branch => branch.name);
 		}
-		// TODO: @alexr00 - Add sorting so that the most likely to be used branch (ex main or release if base) is at the top of the list.
-		const branchPicks: (vscode.QuickPickItem & { remote?: RemoteInfo, branch?: string })[] = branches.map(branch => {
-			const branchName = typeof branch === 'string' ? branch : branch.name!;
-			const pick: (vscode.QuickPickItem & { remote: RemoteInfo, branch: string }) = {
-				iconPath: new vscode.ThemeIcon('git-branch'),
-				label: branchName,
-				remote: {
-					owner: githubRepository.remote.owner,
-					repositoryName: githubRepository.remote.repositoryName
-				},
-				branch: branchName
-			};
-			return pick;
-		});
-		branchPicks.unshift({
-			kind: vscode.QuickPickItemKind.Separator,
-			label: `${githubRepository.remote.owner}/${githubRepository.remote.repositoryName}`
-		});
+
+		const branchNames = branches.map(branch => typeof branch === 'string' ? branch : branch.name!);
+
+		// Get recently used branches for base branches only
+		let recentBranches: string[] = [];
+		let otherBranches: string[] = branchNames;
+		if (isBase) {
+			const recentlyUsed = this.getRecentlyUsedBranches(githubRepository.remote.owner, githubRepository.remote.repositoryName);
+			// Filter to only include branches that exist in the current branch list
+			recentBranches = recentlyUsed.filter(recent => branchNames.includes(recent));
+			// Remove recently used branches from the main list
+			otherBranches = branchNames.filter(name => !recentBranches.includes(name));
+		}
+
+		const branchPicks: (vscode.QuickPickItem & { remote?: RemoteInfo, branch?: string })[] = [];
+
+		// Add recently used branches section
+		if (recentBranches.length > 0) {
+			branchPicks.push({
+				kind: vscode.QuickPickItemKind.Separator,
+				label: vscode.l10n.t('Recently Used')
+			});
+			recentBranches.forEach(branchName => {
+				branchPicks.push({
+					iconPath: new vscode.ThemeIcon('git-branch'),
+					label: branchName,
+					remote: {
+						owner: githubRepository.remote.owner,
+						repositoryName: githubRepository.remote.repositoryName
+					},
+					branch: branchName
+				});
+			});
+		}
+
+		// Add all other branches section
+		if (otherBranches.length > 0) {
+			branchPicks.push({
+				kind: vscode.QuickPickItemKind.Separator,
+				label: recentBranches.length > 0 ? vscode.l10n.t('All Branches') : `${githubRepository.remote.owner}/${githubRepository.remote.repositoryName}`
+			});
+			otherBranches.forEach(branchName => {
+				branchPicks.push({
+					iconPath: new vscode.ThemeIcon('git-branch'),
+					label: branchName,
+					remote: {
+						owner: githubRepository.remote.owner,
+						repositoryName: githubRepository.remote.repositoryName
+					},
+					branch: branchName
+				});
+			});
+		}
+
 		branchPicks.unshift({
 			iconPath: new vscode.ThemeIcon('repo'),
 			label: changeRepoMessage
@@ -856,6 +930,10 @@ export class CreatePullRequestViewProvider extends BaseCreatePullRequestViewProv
 			const baseBranchChanged = baseRemoteChanged || this.model.baseBranch !== result.branch;
 			this.model.baseOwner = result.remote.owner;
 			this.model.baseBranch = result.branch;
+
+			// Save the selected base branch to recently used branches
+			this.saveRecentlyUsedBranch(result.remote.owner, result.remote.repositoryName, result.branch);
+
 			const compareBranch = await this._folderRepositoryManager.repository.getBranch(this.model.compareBranch);
 			const [mergeConfiguration, titleAndDescription, mergeQueueMethodForBranch] = await Promise.all([
 				this.getMergeConfiguration(result.remote.owner, result.remote.repositoryName),
@@ -1259,6 +1337,8 @@ export class CreatePullRequestViewProvider extends BaseCreatePullRequestViewProv
 					if (!createdPR) {
 						this._throwError(message, vscode.l10n.t('There must be a difference in commits to create a pull request.'));
 					} else {
+						// Save the base branch to recently used branches after successful PR creation
+						this.saveRecentlyUsedBranch(message.args.owner, message.args.repo, message.args.base);
 						await this.postCreate(message, createdPR);
 					}
 				} catch (e) {