Practical use.
Git-aware recovery matters most when the old chat and current checkout may disagree. The working tree is the immediate evidence for what is present now; the transcript is context about how it got there.
Git-Aware State.
ShardStitch reads branch, diff, changed files, recent commits, and uncommitted work so the next AI starts from what actually exists on disk.
What it carries.
- Current branch and recent commits
- Changed and uncommitted files
- Diff-aware current task surface
- Files likely relevant to the next step
How it fits ShardStitch.
This feature anchors recovery in Git evidence: diff, status, commits, branches, and the files that actually changed.
What to inspect first.
Start with the branch, status, diff, and recent commits. Those four views reveal whether the session’s description matches the working tree, whether changes are uncommitted, and which files deserve attention before another AI writes code.
Git-aware state does not replace a review. It gives the next session a concrete starting point and keeps unrelated repository history out of the recovery packet.
Reconcile the handoff with the working tree.
Before restarting a coding task, inspect branch, status, diff, untracked files, and recent commits. Use those views to confirm which changes exist and which are still only described in the old conversation.
- Confirm the repository root and branch so the next tool does not begin in a different checkout.
- Review staged, unstaged, and untracked changes separately; preserve user edits before any cleanup or reset.
- Compare the handoff claim about completed work with the actual diff and rerun only the checks needed to establish current status.
Worked example.
A practical handoff can say: branch feature/payment; two tracked files modified; one new test file untracked; no commit created; targeted test passed, full suite not run. The next session can distinguish saved work from verification gaps immediately. If a file is ignored by Git or stored outside the repository, mention it separately because ordinary status output will not establish its presence.
Limits and verification.
Git cannot show unsaved editor buffers, ignored files, external service state, or every decision made in a chat. A clean diff also does not mean the task is complete. Use Git as a trustworthy view of repository state, then carry any non-Git evidence separately.