How to Use Bitbucket with Visual Studio Code

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

BitbucketVisual Studio CodeIntegrationDevelopmentIDECode EditorGitVersion ControlSoftwareProgramming

Introduction

Integrating Bitbucket with Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful way to manage your source code directly from your favorite code editor. Bitbucket is a web-based version control repository hosting service that provides support for both Mercurial and Git. Visual Studio Code is a lightweight code editor that runs on your desktop and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll introduce you to the steps needed to use Bitbucket with Visual Studio Code. We'll cover setting up a repository on Bitbucket, cloning it using VS Code, and performing common version control tasks. By the end of this guide, you'll have a solid understanding of how these tools work together to enhance your coding workflow.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, make sure you have the following installed on your development machine:

• Git: A distributed version control system. Make sure you can access it from the command line.
• Visual Studio Code: Download and install the latest version from the official website.
• Bitbucket Account: Please sign up for a Bitbucket account if you don’t already have one.

Step 1: Create a repository on Bitbucket

To start using Bitbucket with Visual Studio Code, you need to create a repository on Bitbucket where your code will be stored.

1. Log in to your Bitbucket account and click Create Repository.
2. Enter Repository details:
   • Repository name: This is the name of your project.
   • Access level: Decide whether your repository should be public or private.
   • Version control system: Choose Git (the more popular option).
3. Click Create repository.

Now your repository is ready on Bitbucket.

Step 2: Install Bitbucket extension in VS Code

For seamless integration, install the Bitbucket extension in Visual Studio Code:

1. Open Visual Studio Code and go to the Extensions view by clicking the extensions icon in the activities bar on the side of the window or using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows or Cmd + Shift + X on macOS.
2. Find Bitbucket in the Extensions Marketplace.
3. Find the extension you need (such as Atlassian's Bitbucket), then click the Install button.

Once installed, relaunch VS Code to activate the extension.

Step 3: Clone your repository into Visual Studio Code

Cloning your Bitbucket repository into Visual Studio Code is a necessary step to work with your project locally.

1. In your Bitbucket repository, find the Clone button and click on it. Copy the URL provided; it should look like https://bitbucket.org/username/repo-name.git.
2. Open Visual Studio Code and choose View > Command Palette or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows or Cmd + Shift + P on macOS.
3. Type Git: Clone in the command palette and press Enter.
4. Paste the repository URL copied from Bitbucket into the input field and press Enter.
5. Choose a local directory to store the cloned repository. After choosing the directory, your workspace will open with the cloned repository.

Step 4: Perform Git operations in Visual Studio Code

Once you've set up your repository, you can perform Git operations directly from within Visual Studio Code. Here's how you can make changes, commit them, and push them to Bitbucket:

Making changes and committing

1. Open any file in your repository and make some changes to it. Save the file after editing.
2. Switch to the Source Control view by clicking the Source Control icon (which looks like a branch) in the activity bar.
3. You will see a list of files with changes. To stage your changes, click the + icon next to the file or click Stage All Changesat the top.
4. Provide a commit message in the message box that describes your changes.
5. Click Commit to save your changes to the local repository.

Advancing change

1. To push your changes to Bitbucket, click the ellipsis (three dots) in the Source Control view and select Push.
2. Enter your Bitbucket credentials if prompted. This will send your committed changes to the Bitbucket server.

Bringing about change

If the remote repository has updates that you want to include in your local repository, you need to pull those changes:

1. In Source Control view, click the ellipsis (three dots) and select Drag.
2. If there are no merge conflicts, the remote changes will be applied to your local repository.

Step 5: Branching in Visual Studio Code

Branches allow you to work on different features or improvements without affecting the main line of development (usually called the master or main branch). Visual Studio Code makes branching easy.

1. In the Source Control view, click the branch name at the bottom of the VS Code window.
2. Select + Create new branch... and provide a name for the new branch.
3. Once created, your new branch will become the active branch, and any changes you make will be applied to this branch.
4. To change branches, click the current branch name again and select a different branch from the list.

Branching allows you to isolate your work from others until you are ready to merge.

Step 6: Managing merge conflicts

Sometimes, when changes made in local branches are also modified in the remote repository, conflicts arise. Here's how to manage merge conflicts:

1. When you make changes that conflict with local changes, Visual Studio Code will notify you about the conflict.
2. Open the conflicting file. VS Code shows markers for conflicts, displaying information such as <<<<<<< HEAD and <<<<<<< Branch_Name.
3. Decide whether to keep the upcoming changes, the existing changes, or both. Edit the file to reflect the resolution.
4. After resolving the conflicts, stage the files by clicking the + icon next to the branch you resolved.
5. Present your solution in Source Control view.

Now the merger has been completed without any dispute.

Step 7: Configuring settings and integrations

Visual Studio Code offers lots of configuration options to customize your Git experience. You can integrate additional tools and plugins for greater productivity.

• Access the settings via File > Preferences > Settings on Windows or Code > Preferences > Settings on macOS.
• Use extensions like GitLens to enhance your Git capabilities with advanced features like commit searching and visual history.

Conclusion

By following this guide, you should now have a fully operational workflow leveraging both Bitbucket and Visual Studio Code. These tools, when used together, provide an efficient and effective environment for managing source code in any software development project. Practice regularly and refer to community resources to further improve your mastery of these techniques. Remember, the key to proficiency in working with version control and editors is constant use and exploration.

  Share This Article

If you find anything wrong with the article content, you can request an update