4PACE - 3PQ Extension

Streamline your 3PQ development workflow with seamless Data Manager integration, automated Git version control, and Product Configurator engine management—all directly within Visual Studio Code.

Overview

The 3PQ Extension is your comprehensive companion for 3PQ Product Configurator development. It bridges VS Code with the 4PACE 3PQ Data Manager, enabling efficient synchronization of scripts, assets, and databases while providing version control.

Key Features

📦 Data Manager Integration

Release Management

• Create & Download Releases: Generate new releases or retrieve existing ones from the Data Manager
• Selective Downloads: Get only what you need—complete releases, databases, assets, or scripts
• Smart Synchronization: Automatically detects and updates only changed files
• Smart Deployment Support: Full support for Data Manager smart deployment with knowledge bases and workspaces

File Operations

• Mirror to DM: Synchronize your local Scripts, Assets, and Databases folders to the Data Manager
• Upload & Delete: Manage individual files or folders directly from the context menu
• Diff Files: Compare local files with their Data Manager versions
• Template-Based Creation: Generate new scripts from templates with right-click convenience

🔧 Product Configurator Engine Management

• Automatic Updates: Download the latest or specific engine versions
• Centralized Storage: Engines stored centrally outside your workspace for easy management. This keeps your repo clean.
• Empty Workspace Setup: Initialize new projects with complete 3PQ setup automatically
• Migration Support: Migrate existing workspaces to smart deployment. Detect and repair missing files.
• Diff & Changelog: Compare modified settings and view engine changelogs
• Settings Reset: Restore configuration files to their original state

🔐 Authentication & Security

• OAuth/OIDC Integration: Secure login
  • Data Manager: Login for each workspace / VS Code project
  • Engine Server: Login once

📊 Extension Sidebar

Three-Panel Sidebar Interface

1. Info Panel

• Data Manager connection status and user information
• Current release versions (local and remote)
• Product Configurator engine details
• Git repository status and branch information
• One-click refresh for all information

2. Commands Panel

• Release download&extraction options (scripts, assets, databases, or everything)
• Workspace and knowledge base selection dropdowns
• Product Configurator engine operations
• Git version control commands
• Migration support

3. Settings Panel

• Data Manager domain and OIDC provider configuration
• Git remote repository setup
• Direct links to Data Manager and OIDC provider interfaces

⚙️ Customizable Behavior

Configurable Options

• Enable/disable individual commands
• Control notification frequency ("Ask", "Always", "Never")
• Upload/download size warnings
• Git synchronization reminders
• Custom Git directory offset
• ((Experimental features like auto-upload, live-upload))

Workspace-Specific Settings All configurations are stored per workspace, allowing different settings for each project.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• VS Code: Version 1.100.0 or higher
• Operating System: Windows
• 3PQ Account: 4PACE 3PQ Data Manager access credentials
• Git (optional): For version control features

Note on macOS: While not officially supported, the extension can work on Apple Silicon Macs (ARM) by running Windows via Parallels with an x64 VS Code installation.

Initial Setup

1. Install the Extension

2. Open the 3PQ Sidebar

   • Click the 4PACE icon (nine squares) in the Activity Bar on the left

3. Configure Data Manager Connection

   • Open the Settings Panel in the 3PQ sidebar
   • Enter your Data Manager domain (e.g., https://your-dm-domain.de)
   • The extension will automatically detect the OIDC provider, or you can set it manually

4. Sign In: DM

   • After setting the domain, a login request will pop up (manual login: click the account icon in the bottom-left corner and select the DM login)
   • Complete the authentication in your browser
   • You'll be automatically redirected back to VS Code. This step may require a redirect confirmation depending on the browser and VS Code configuration.

5. Sign In: Engine Server

   • click the account icon in the bottom-left corner and select the Engine Storage login
   • Complete the authentication in your browser and confirm the redirects

6. Start Working

   • Use the Commands Panel to download a release or setup a project
   • The Info Panel displays your connection status and project information

Quick Start for New Projects

1. Open an empty folder in VS Code
2. Open the 3PQ sidebar → Commands Panel
3. Click "Get latest Cfg Engine" to download the Product Configurator engine. The extension guides you through the project setup
4. DM with Smart deployment: Select your workspace
5. Click on "Create and Download Release" to get the latest DM files.
6. Start developing

How to Use

Command Entry Points

The extension provides three ways to execute commands:

1. 3PQ Sidebar

   • Click the 4PACE icon in the Activity Bar
   • Commands lock the sidebar buttons while executing to prevent conflicts

2. Context Menu

   • Right-click on files or folders in the Explorer
   • Available for items in Content/Data/.../Scripts, Assets, and Databases folders
   • Supports multi-selection for batch operations

3. Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)

   • Type "4PACE_3PQ" to see all available commands
   • Execute commands from anywhere in VS Code

Safety Features

• Folder Restrictions: Most operations are limited to Content/Data/.../Scripts, Assets, and Databases folders
• Confirmation Dialogs: Destructive operations require confirmation
• Button Locking: UI prevents concurrent operations that could cause conflicts
• Auto-backup: Git integration encourages regular commits
• Error Logging: Detailed logs available in Output Panel → "3PQ Extension"

Configuration

VS Code Settings

All settings are accessible via:

• Settings Panel in 3PQ sidebar
• VS Code Settings UI: Search for "3PQ"
• Workspace settings file: .code-workspace or .vscode/settings.json

Git Configuration

For Git features to work properly, ensure Git is installed and configured:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Documentation

For detailed documentation with visual guides and FAQ, visit: 4Pace XWiki Documentation