Test: Agents app Changes panel

[bamurtaugh]

Refs: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-internalbacklog/issues/7252

• windows @benvillalobos
• linux @zhichli
• macOS @ulugbekna

Complexity: 4

Authors: @lszomoru, @bamurtaugh, @lostintangent

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Changes Panel: Review, Discard & Merge/PR Flow

As we've continued optimizing the Changes panel in the Agents app, we're interested in folks exploring it in their real agentic scenarios.

Below are some example scenarios to try: feel free to try these steps specifically, and/or generally monitor and explore the Changes panel while doing your work in the Agents app.

Our goal is to ensure the Changes panel provides a complete review-and-ship workflow across both in-progress and completed sessions: accurate file listings, no unexpected focus stealing, viewing diffs, running code review, discarding changes, and merging or creating PRs.

Setup:

• Latest VS Code Insiders
• Use the Agents app specifically

Example test steps

Changes Panel Accuracy & Focus Behavior

0. Open the Agents app (several ways to open, including command Chat: Open Agents Application)
1. Kick off a few sessions, one after the other
   • Confirm one session's Changes panel does not steal focus when working on another session, or while on the new session screen
2. Switch to a completed session
   • Verify the Changes panel opens if there are changes in this session
   • Verify the Changes in the panel belong to this session only
3. Verify all changed files appear, including:
   • Files the agent created or modified during the session.
   • Files that were already changed on the branch before the session started (pre-existing branch changes migrated into the worktree).
   • Confirm the file count matches what you expect from both sources.
4. Files tab — switch to the Files tab and confirm the project's full file tree is browsable, not just changed files.

In-Progress Session

5. While an agent is still working on a session, open the Changes panel.
   • Confirm it shows the changes made so far (files from completed turns).
6. View Last Turn's Changes — toggle to "last turn" view and confirm only the changes from the most recent agent turn are displayed (not cumulative session changes).

Review & Merge

7. Run Code Review — click the button and confirm a code review is generated.
8. Merge Changes — use the dropdown:
   • Select Merge Changes & Sync — verify changes merge to the branch and sync upstream.
   • Or select Create Pull Request — verify a PR is opened on GitHub with the session's changes.
   • Or select Create Draft Pull Request — verify a draft PR is created.
9. PR checks — after creating a PR, CI check status surfaces in the Changes panel.
10. Non-Git folder: Open a session on a non-Git folder and confirm the Changes panel shows an Initialize Repository button instead of merge options.