API Hero

Git-first REST/HTTP client for Visual Studio Code — author human-readable .api requests beside your code, run them with assertions, organize collections as folders, manage environments and auth, import OpenAPI, and inspect responses professionally.

Extension ID: ankitsemwal.api-hero · Version: 0.6.4 · License: MIT

Documentation · Changelog · Support · Contributing · Security

Why API Hero

API Hero is for developers who want Postman-like speed without leaving the editor or fighting opaque binary collections.

Install

Marketplace: search API Hero or install extension ID ankitsemwal.api-hero.

From VSIX (local build):

npm install
npm run package
code --install-extension api-hero-0.6.4.vsix

Requires VS Code 1.90+.

Quick start (under five minutes)

Open a folder workspace in VS Code (required for Collections). Then:

1. New Collection

Open the API Hero Activity Bar → Collections → New Collection (or API Hero: New Collection). Requests live under Collections/<name>/.

2. New Request

Choose New Request, set a name/method/URL in the dialog, then edit in the Request Editor (default for *.api).

3. Set URL and Run

Set or confirm the URL, then:

• Click Run in the Request Editor toolbar, or
• Press Ctrl+Alt+R / Cmd+Alt+R, or
• Use CodeLens Run Request

Inspect the Response Viewer. Successful runs appear under History.

Environments and authentication are optional for a first public GET. Try API Hero: Open Overview anytime for a home screen with quick actions.

Alternate: loose .api file (advanced)

You can also create a .api file anywhere in the workspace and run it the same way:

### Hello
GET https://httpbin.org/get
Accept: application/json

Loose files may appear under a Legacy entry in Collections until you move them under Collections/. Prefer New Collection → New Request for the standard Git-friendly layout.

Feature highlights

• .api language — highlighting, snippets, hover, outline, diagnostics, CodeLens
• Request Editor — default custom editor for .api (params, headers, body, auth, variables, tests, preview)
• Response Viewer — status card, pretty/raw/JSON, headers, assertions; copy, save, search
• Collections — Activity Bar explorer, folders, CRUD, filter, drag-and-drop, import/export folder trees
• Collection Runner — run collection / folder / selection / tests with failure policy + Run Report
• History — persisted runs, facet filters, detail panel, re-run, reveal original request
• Environments — Environment Manager panel + status bar chip; precedence with document/workspace/global variables
• Authentication — none / basic / bearer / API key profiles; Secret Storage; Auth Manager + preview
• Assertions — expect lines with Problems diagnostics
• OpenAPI Import — OpenAPI 3.x multi-step wizard → .api + collection structure
• Overview — command-opened home for recent runs, collections, and quick actions

Not in this release: Run File (all requests in one editor), Login/Logout OAuth, cookie jar, GraphQL/gRPC/WebSocket.

Screenshots & GIFs

Screenshots and GIFs are not bundled in the VSIX yet. Recommended captures from a real 0.6.4 build:

1. Request Editor + Response Viewer side by side (run affordance visible)
2. Collections Activity Bar (filter / run optional)
3. History view + detail panel
4. Environment Manager or Auth Manager
5. OpenAPI Import wizard or Collection Run Report
6. Optional short GIF: create → run → history

Asset guidance: docs/marketplace/banner-placeholder.md · marketplace-assets.md · marketplace-readiness-review.md

Collections

Collections are workspace folders (typically under Collections/) plus optional markers. Create folders and requests from the tree, filter, run a collection or selection, and export/import collection directories for Git workflows.

→ Working with Collections · Git workflow

History

History stores metadata-safe summaries (masked presentation URLs). Open an entry for detail, re-run, reveal the original request, or copy a summary.

→ History

Environments & variables

Manage named environments in the Environment Manager. Variable precedence: document → environment → workspace → global. Mark sensitive variables so UI and presentation stay redacted.

→ Environments · Variables

Authentication

Create profiles (none, basic, bearer, API key) in Manage Authentication. Secrets use VS Code Secret Storage. Attach with @auth profileName or Select Authentication.

→ Authentication

Assertions

Add expect lines after a request. Run with assertions via CodeLens or Run Request with Assertions. Failures appear in the Response Viewer and Problems.

→ Assertions

Response Viewer

Professional inspection: status, timing, pretty/raw body, headers, assertion summary. Copy body or headers, save body to disk, search within the body.

→ Response Viewer

Collection Runner

Run many requests sequentially with progress UI. Configure apiRunner.collectionRunner.failurePolicy (ask, stop-on-first-error, continue-on-error, skip-invalid-requests). Review the Run Report panel when a run finishes.

→ Collection Runner

OpenAPI Import

API Hero: Import OpenAPI Specification opens a wizard: pick a spec, preview, write .api files and collection structure. Generation uses the same serializer as the Request Editor.

→ OpenAPI Import

Keyboard shortcuts

More actions are available from the Command Palette (API Hero: …) and view title menus.

Configuration

Open API Hero: Open Settings or filter Settings with @ext:ankitsemwal.api-hero.

Notable keys: apiRunner.requestTimeout, maxResponseBytes, history.maxEntries, environments, activeEnvironment, authentication.profiles, collectionRunner.failurePolicy, languageFeatures.*.

→ Configuration reference

Comparison (short)

Architecture overview

.api source → Parser → Request builder → Variables → Auth → Executor → Response / Assertions / History
                                      ↘ Collections tree / Runner / OpenAPI / Overview (VS Code adapters)

→ Architecture · Development

Roadmap

Near term: Marketplace screenshots/GIFs, sample collections, Walkthrough contribution, Run File, richer auth (OAuth) when ready. See roadmap.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md and development docs. Stable contribution IDs must not change casually — stable-identifiers.md.

License

MIT

Support

SUPPORT.md · GitHub Issues