Generate GitHub Line Links with a Vim Shortcut in VS Code

Sharing specific lines of code requires navigating to GitHub, finding the file, and copying the URL with line anchor. This process is inefficient and interrupts development flow.

This guide shows how to create a keyboard shortcut that generates GitHub links for the current line in VS Code/Cursor with VSCodeVim.

Problem

Manual GitHub link creation involves:

Opening GitHub in browser
Navigating to repository and file
Finding the specific line
Copying URL with line anchor

This workflow breaks focus and wastes time during code reviews and collaboration.

Solution

A VS Code task that automatically:

Extracts current file path and line number
Determines git repository information
Constructs GitHub URL with line anchor
Copies result to clipboard

Implementation

Create VS Code Task

Add .vscode/tasks.json to your workspace:

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "label": "Generate Git Link",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "bash",
            "args": [
                "-c",
                "FILE='${file}'; LINE='${lineNumber}'; GIT_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel); RELATIVE_PATH=$(realpath --relative-to=\"$GIT_ROOT\" \"$FILE\"); BRANCH=$(git symbolic-ref --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || git rev-parse HEAD); REMOTE_URL=$(git config --get remote.origin.url); if [[ $REMOTE_URL == git@github.com:* ]]; then GITHUB_URL=\"https://github.com/${REMOTE_URL#git@github.com:}\"; GITHUB_URL=\"${GITHUB_URL%.git}\"; elif [[ $REMOTE_URL == https://github.com/* ]]; then GITHUB_URL=\"${REMOTE_URL%.git}\"; else echo \"Error: Remote URL format not supported: $REMOTE_URL\"; exit 1; fi; LINK=\"${GITHUB_URL}/blob/${BRANCH}/${RELATIVE_PATH}#L${LINE}\"; echo \"$LINK\"; if command -v xclip &> /dev/null; then echo -n \"$LINK\" | xclip -selection clipboard && echo \"Link copied to clipboard\"; elif command -v wl-copy &> /dev/null; then echo -n \"$LINK\" | wl-copy && echo \"Link copied to clipboard\"; else echo \"Install xclip or wl-copy for clipboard functionality\"; fi"
            ],
            "group": "build",
            "presentation": {
                "echo": true,
                "reveal": "always",
                "focus": false,
                "panel": "new",
                "showReuseMessage": false,
                "clear": true,
                "close": false
            },
            "problemMatcher": []
        }
    ]
}

Configure Vim Keybinding

Add to User Settings (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)"):

{
  "vim.leader": "<space>",
  "vim.normalModeKeyBindings": [
    {
      "before": ["<leader>", "g", "l"],
      "commands": [
        {
          "command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
          "args": "Generate Git Link"
        }
      ],
      "silent": true
    }
  ]
}

Install Clipboard Support

Linux/WSL:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y xclip

macOS:

brew install xclip

Technical Details

The script uses VS Code variables:

${file} - Current file absolute path
${lineNumber} - Current cursor line number

Git operations:

git rev-parse --show-toplevel - Find repository root
git symbolic-ref --short HEAD - Get current branch
git config --get remote.origin.url - Get remote URL

URL construction handles both SSH (git@github.com:user/repo.git) and HTTPS (https://github.com/user/repo.git) remote formats.

Usage

Position cursor on target line
Press <Space>gl in normal mode
GitHub URL is displayed and copied to clipboard

Output format:

https://github.com/user/repo/blob/branch/path/file.ext#L42
Link copied to clipboard

Configuration Options

Modify keybinding in vim.normalModeKeyBindings:

"before": ["<leader>", "u"]  // <Space>u
"before": ["g", "h"]         // gh

Troubleshooting

Task not found: Verify .vscode/tasks.json exists in workspace root
Keybinding inactive: VSCodeVim settings must be in User Settings, not Workspace Settings
No clipboard: Install xclip or wl-copy
Wrong branch: Script uses current git HEAD

Requirements

Git repository with GitHub remote
VSCodeVim extension
Bash shell
Optional: xclip or wl-copy for clipboard functionality

This automation reduces a multi-step browser workflow to a two-keystroke operation.

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