Vscode Ext Commands

Master VS Code extension command patterns and best practices

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Guidelines for contributing commands in VS Code extensions. Indicates naming convention, visibility, localization and other relevant attributes, following VS Code extension development guidelines, libraries and good practices

vscode extensions commands development ide typescript javascript contribution
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User Prompt

Help me add a new command to my VS Code extension that formats code and should be accessible from the Command Palette

Skill Processing

Analyzing request...

Agent Response

Complete command contribution structure with proper title, category, and Command Palette visibility settings

Quick Start (3 Steps)

Get up and running in minutes

1

Install

claude-code skill install vscode-ext-commands

claude-code skill install vscode-ext-commands
2

Config

3

First Trigger

@vscode-ext-commands help

Commands

CommandDescriptionRequired Args
@vscode-ext-commands adding-command-palette-commandsCreate properly structured commands that appear in VS Code's Command Palette with correct naming and categorizationNone
@vscode-ext-commands implementing-side-bar-commandsBuild commands specifically for Side Bar interactions with proper naming conventions and icon requirementsNone
@vscode-ext-commands command-visibility-and-positioningConfigure when and where commands appear in the VS Code interface with proper enablement conditionsNone

Typical Use Cases

Adding Command Palette Commands

Create properly structured commands that appear in VS Code's Command Palette with correct naming and categorization

Implementing Side Bar Commands

Build commands specifically for Side Bar interactions with proper naming conventions and icon requirements

Command Visibility and Positioning

Configure when and where commands appear in the VS Code interface with proper enablement conditions

Overview

VS Code extension command contribution

This skill helps you to contribute commands in VS Code extensions

When to use this skill

Use this skill when you need to:

  • Add or update commands to your VS Code extension

Instructions

VS Code commands must always define a title, independent of its category, visibility or location. We use a few patterns for each “kind” of command, with some characteristics, described below:

  • Regular commands: By default, all commands should be accessible in the Command Palette, must define a category, and don’t need an icon, unless the command will be used in the Side Bar.

  • Side Bar commands: Its name follows a special pattern, starting with underscore (_) and suffixed with #sideBar, like _extensionId.someCommand#sideBar for instance. Must define an icon, and may or may not have some rule for enablement. Side Bar exclusive commands should not be visible in the Command Palette. Contributing it to the view/title or view/item/context, we must inform order/position that it will be displayed, and we can use terms “relative to other command/button” in order to you identify the correct group to be used. Also, it’s a good practice to define the condition (when) for the new command is visible.

What Users Are Saying

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Environment Matrix

Dependencies

VS Code Extension API
package.json contribution points

Framework Support

VS Code Extension Development ✓ (recommended) TypeScript ✓ JavaScript ✓

Context Window

Token Usage ~1K-3K tokens for typical command configurations

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Information

Author
github
Updated
2026-01-30
Category
ide-plugins