Enable view file permissions

[J00MZ]

Feature

As a user I'd like to have the permissions and history of file permissions in the git index shown.

The command git ls-files --stage shows the permissions
Example:

$ git ls-files --stage
100755 fa4b6d63197593cd8855cec16738392e15a142f8 0       create_vms.sh

Feature Mockup

[eamodio]

@J00MZ Can you provide some use-cases for this?

[J00MZ]

Sure!
The simple use case is viewing the file permissions of the existing file is saved as executable or not.

For example, text and configuration files you save as 0644 (read permissions) and scripts and binaries as 0755 (executable permissions).

The git file permissions are almost virtually invisible unless you use the command line. however wrong permissions on an executable can have a big impact when the code is pulled and the executable does not run since it's permissions were changed by a bad commit.

Especially in CI/CD environments when the code and scripts are constantly changing, if the permissions are wrong on executable scripts it can break builds or other processes down the line (true story)

[skupjoe]

I don't use file permissions for my git repos in the traditional fashion. Instead, I set the executable bits manually.

So, I'm always needing to run this command to view the file bits:

git ls-files -s

I'd love to be able to view this at-a-glance in VScode!

[UrsineRaven]

I would like to add that it is especially important to be able to see the execution bit status when writing shell scripts. I discovered on a coworker's Windows machine, Git Bash (maybe more accurately Cygwin?) will make it appear that the execution bit is set when checking with ls, but it won't get checked in as executable to git. This makes for a bad experience when it gets checked in as a non-executable and doesn't get detected until QA.

Being able to see anywhere in the UI if the script is executable and/or if the permissions are changing would therefore be hugely beneficial.

[SampsonCrowley]

another use case is that when file mode is changed, files show as changed, but attempting to view changes shows nothing. this can be confusing to those trying to find what is different in seemingly identical files; especially when reviewing merge changes

I propose showing the previous and current filemode as the first line in the diff view, above the number 1 so it's clear that it's file mode and not a line