Mads Kristensen walks .NET developers through a productive morning with Visual Studio 2026, showcasing streamlined Git workflows and AI-powered reviews for improved code quality.

Streamlining Your Git Workflow with Visual Studio 2026

By Mads Kristensen

Modern development requires efficient source control and collaborative workflows. This guide demonstrates how Visual Studio 2026’s robust Git tooling and integrated AI can streamline your daily activities.

Typical Morning Workflow for .NET Developers

You start the day by addressing an Azure DevOps ticket: the login endpoint fails under heavy load.

9:00 AM – Isolate Your Bug Fix with a Topic Branch

  • Open the repository in Visual Studio.
  • Use the Git Repository Window to branch off main (New Local Branch From) and name it to match your DevOps ticket.
  • Visual Studio immediately switches context and displays your branch/sync status.
  • Update AuthService.cs with an async lock to resolve concurrency issues.

9:30 AM – Stash Changes to Switch Context

  • Interrupted to review a feature branch, you use Git Changes Window to Stash All current modifications with a clear note.
  • This keeps your working directory clean while you switch branches.
  • Branch switching benefits from improved solution load and indexing, allowing quick context changes.

10:15 AM – Restore Work and Review with AI Assistance

  • Pop your stash from the Git Changes Window, recovering all uncommitted work.
  • Before committing, you leverage Copilot Code Review within Visual Studio to scan the diff and offer actionable comments.
  • Using Copilot Chat, you check for security issues (e.g., rate limiting suggestions) and incorporate recommendations on the fly.

10:45 AM – Commit and Push with Guidance

  • Generate a commit message tailored to team standards using the built-in tool.
  • Push your changes to the remote repository, ensuring consistency and clarity.

11:15 AM – Create a Pull Request and Collaborate Inline

  • Visual Studio prompts you to create a PR right after push.
  • In the PR UI, select peer reviewers and benefit from Copilot-autogenerated PR descriptions.
  • Reviewers can open the PR, comment, and approve entirely within Visual Studio—no browser required.
  • Discussions are threaded and markdown-formatted inline with code changes.
  • Once approved, you merge and delete the topic branch, maintaining repo hygiene.

Key Visual Studio Git Features Highlighted

  • Fast branch creation and switching
  • Reliable stashing and popping of changes
  • Integrated PR and code review experience
  • AI-powered Copilot suggestions and reviews
  • Automated commit and PR descriptions tied to team standards

These features support a fluid workflow, reducing context switching costs and improving code quality.

Conclusion

Visual Studio 2026’s Git enhancements, combined with AI review tools, empower developers to handle multiple tasks efficiently each morning. The experience keeps you focused on shipping clean, maintainable code while fostering seamless collaboration.

Try the workflow and share feedback on further Git topics you’d like to see.

Happy coding!

This post appeared first on “Microsoft VisualStudio Blog”. Read the entire article here