DevContainer Template Manager is a Visual Studio Code extension that simplifies the process of managing, deploying, and saving DevContainer configurations. It allows you to quickly set up development environments across different projects and save custom configurations for future use.
Once you've done all that work to get a setup that works for you, you should be able to save it locally and reuse it in other projects. This extension allows you to do just that.
Inspiration: I created this extension because I spent days getting a Research Data Science devcontainer with Quarto, R (with renv environment management), Python (with Rye), and Latex working. Then I found myself copying and pasting DevContainer configurations between projects. I wanted a way to easily save and deploy custom DevContainer configurations without having to manually copy files around.
Features
Import DevContainer Templates: Easily import pre-configured DevContainer templates to your current workspace.
Save Custom Templates: Save your current DevContainer configuration as a custom template for future use.
Manage Multiple Templates: Keep a library of DevContainer templates for different project types or environments.
Installation
Open Visual Studio Code
Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "DevContainer Template Manager"
Click Install
Usage
Deploying a DevContainer Template
Open a workspace where you want to deploy a DevContainer configuration
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
Search for "Import DevContainer Template" and select it
Choose a template from the list of available templates
The selected template will be copied to your workspace's .devcontainer folder
Saving a Custom DevContainer Template
Set up your DevContainer configuration in your current workspace
Once you're satisfied with the setup, open the Command Palette
Search for "Save Current DevContainer as Template" and select it
Enter a name for your new template when prompted
Your current DevContainer configuration will be saved as a new template
Requirements
Visual Studio Code 1.60.0 or higher
A workspace must be open to deploy or save templates
Extension Settings
This extension doesn't add any VS Code settings.
Known Issues
[List any known issues or limitations here]
Release Notes
0.2.0
Added functionality to save current DevContainer configuration as a custom template
0.1.0
Initial release
Ability to deploy pre-configured DevContainer templates
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.