Git Branch Not Visible in VS Code¶

The Problem¶

A developer could see their branch feature/DasSomeFeatureName in the Azure DevOps web interface but it wasn't showing up in VS Code's branch selector.

What Didn't Work¶

The developer tried refreshing VS Code's Git integration by clicking the refresh icon in the Source Control panel. This performed push/pull operations but didn't resolve the visibility issue.

The Solution¶

Running the following command in the terminal fixed the issue:

git fetch --all

Why This Happened¶

When a branch is created remotely (through web interface or by another developer), your local Git repository doesn't automatically know about it. The VS Code refresh button primarily handles push/pull operations for tracked branches, but doesn't fetch information about new remote branches.

Key Takeaway¶

Quick Fix

If you can't see a remote branch in VS Code, run git fetch --all to update your local repository with all remote branch information.

Troubleshooting Steps¶

1. Check Available Branches¶

# List all branches (local and remote)
git branch -a

2. Fetch Remote Information¶

# Fetch from all remotes
git fetch --all

# Or fetch from specific remote
git fetch origin

3. Create Local Branch from Remote¶

# Create and switch to local branch tracking remote
git checkout -b feature/DasSomeFeatureName origin/feature/DasSomeFeatureName

4. VS Code Manual Refresh (Often doesn't work)¶

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "Git: Refresh" and execute
Or click branch name in bottom-left corner to open branch picker

Limitation

VS Code's built-in refresh often only handles push/pull for existing branches and may not fetch information about new remote branches.

Alternative Commands¶

# Verify remote configuration
git remote -v

# Switch to existing remote branch
git checkout feature/DasSomeFeatureName

The git fetch command updates your local repository's knowledge of remote branches without affecting your working directory.