rtk-ai/rtk

Add rtk git checkout support

Closed

#1,728 opened on May 5, 2026

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 (2 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)Rust (2,914 forks)batch import
area:clienhancementgood first issuehelp wantedpriority:medium

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Description

Problem

rtk discover shows 617 git checkout invocations in the last 30 days, all unhandled. Common forms:

  • git checkout -b <branch>
  • git checkout <branch>
  • git checkout HEAD -- <files>
  • git checkout -- <files>

Proposal

Compress to the same ok <result> pattern as rtk git add / rtk git commit:

  • git checkout -b feat/x → ok feat/x (new)
  • git checkout main → ok main (or ok main, 3 files updated)
  • git checkout HEAD -- foo.ts bar.ts → ok 2 files restored
  • On conflict / dirty tree: surface only the conflict/error, not the full status block

Why it matters

Plain git checkout on a branch with diff context can dump dozens of "M / D / ??" lines. Same shape as the existing rtk git pull compression — should be a small extension.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Study existing rtk git add/commit source code to understand the compression pattern, then implement similar logic for git checkout subcommands.
Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
RustGit
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60