Auto Save Instant

Never lose a change again! Ultra-fast auto-saving for VS Code with intelligent 100ms instant saves, interactive Quick Settings popup menu, and Git Safety Guard protection.

Overview

Auto Save Instant provides enterprise-grade auto-saving capabilities with Google Docs-style instant saves. Built for developers who can't afford to lose a single keystroke, it combines ultra-fast responsiveness with intelligent backup strategies, interactive status bar quick settings, and safety guardrails.

Key Benefits

• 🚀 Instant Response: Saves after just 100ms of typing inactivity (configurable)
• ⚙️ Interactive Quick Settings Menu: Click Auto Save: ON in the status bar to adjust options with descriptive guides
• 🛡️ Git Safety Guard: Pauses auto-save during merge conflicts or rebase operations to protect code integrity
• 🔀 Save on Focus / Tab Change: Automatically saves dirty files when switching tabs or window focus
• 🎨 Format on Save Integration: Optionally runs Prettier/ESLint formatting right before saving
• 🛡️ Dual Protection: Primary instant saves + interval backup system
• ⚡ Zero Overhead: Modular enterprise architecture with smart debouncing
• 🎯 Smart Exclusions: Automatically skips git, node_modules, and temp files

How It Works

Auto Save Instant employs a sophisticated multi-layered protection system:

graph LR
    A[User Types] --> B[100ms Debounce]
    B --> C{Git Conflict / Rebase?}
    C -- Yes --> D[Pause Auto-Save]
    C -- No --> E[Primary Instant Save]
    E --> F[Format Code optional]
    F --> G[Status Bar Update]
    
    H[Focus Change / Tab Switch] --> C
    I[Interval Timer 30s] --> C

Features

⚙️ Status Bar Quick Settings Popup Menu

Click Auto Save: ON in the status bar or trigger Auto Save: Quick Settings Menu (Ctrl+Shift+P) to open a rich interactive menu:

• Master Switch: Instantly toggle auto-save extension on/off
• Instant Save Toggle: Toggle 100ms typing-pause save
• Focus Change Toggle: Enable/disable saving on editor tab or window focus change
• Format on Save Toggle: Enable automatic code formatting before saving
• Git Safety Guard Toggle: Enable/disable protection against saving conflict markers
• Adjust Delays & Intervals: Change save delay (50ms - 5000ms) or interval frequency (5s - 300s) on the fly!

🛡️ Git Safety Guard Protection

Avoid corrupting merge markers or breaking git interactive rebases!

• Detects active .git/MERGE_HEAD, REBASE_HEAD, or CHERRY_PICK_HEAD states.
• Scans files for active Git conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>).
• Automatically pauses auto-save until conflicts are resolved.

🚀 Ultra-Fast Auto-Save & Focus Save

• Instant Save: 100ms default pause delay (Google Docs style)
• Focus Change Save: Save modified files automatically whenever focus leaves the window or editor tab

Installation

Via VS Code Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Navigate to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Auto Save Instant"
4. Click Install

Via Command Line

code --install-extension AkilaWasalathilaka.auto-save-instant

Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Install via command line:

   code --install-extension auto-save-instant-1.1.0.vsix
   

Configuration

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,) and search for AutoSave:

Core Settings

Timing & Exclusion Configuration

Example Configuration

{
  "autoSave.enabled": true,
  "autoSave.saveOnEdit": true,
  "autoSave.saveOnFocusChange": true,
  "autoSave.formatOnSave": true,
  "autoSave.gitSafetyGuard": true,
  "autoSave.saveDelay": 100,
  "autoSave.intervalSeconds": 30,
  "autoSave.excludePatterns": [
    "**/.git/**",
    "**/node_modules/**",
    "**/dist/**",
    "**/*.tmp",
    "**/*.log"
  ]
}

Commands

All commands are accessible via the VS Code Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Use Cases

Development Workflows

• Long Coding Sessions: Never lose progress during extended development
• Code Reviews: Ensure all changes are captured before switching contexts
• Remote Development: Maintain file consistency across network connections
• Pair Programming: Automatic saves prevent conflicts during collaborative coding

Content Creation & Data Safety

• Documentation: Secure technical writing and markdown editing
• Configuration Files: Protect critical system and application configurations
• Data Processing: Safeguard scripts and data transformation workflows

Risk Mitigation

• System Crashes: Automatic recovery from unexpected shutdowns
• Power Outages: Protection against data loss during power failures
• Git Protection: Prevents saving half-merged conflict markers during Git rebases/merges

Performance & Comparison

Development

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/akilaisadev/auto-save-extension.git
cd auto-save-extension

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Package VSIX
npx @vscode/vsce package

Project Structure

src/
 ├── extension.ts              # Main extension entry point
 ├── types/
 │    └── config.ts            # Type definitions
 ├── core/
 │    ├── autoSaveEngine.ts    # Core save engine & event orchestration
 │    ├── configManager.ts     # VS Code configuration read/write
 │    ├── gitGuard.ts          # Git conflict & rebase detection guard
 │    └── fileFilter.ts        # File exclusion matcher
 └── ui/
      ├── quickMenu.ts         # Quick Settings status bar popup menu
      └── statusBarManager.ts  # Status bar item UI manager

Troubleshooting

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to report issues, suggest features, or submit pull requests.

1. Fork the repository (https://github.com/akilaisadev/auto-save-extension)
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License & Support

MIT License © Akila Wasalathilaka

Show Your Support

If Auto Save Instant has helped improve your workflow:

• ⭐ Star the GitHub repository
• 📝 Rate & Review on the VS Code Marketplace

Made with ❤️ for the VS Code community
Never lose a keystroke again!