Smart Conda Workspace

Minimal VS Code extension for automated conda environment workspace configuration and project versioning.

Features

One-Click Workspace Configuration: Automatically configure VS Code workspace with conda environment integration
Environment Selection: Choose from any available conda environment
Multi-Platform Support: Works on Windows (PowerShell), macOS (zsh/bash), and Linux (bash)
Shell Auto-Activation: Automatically activates conda environment when entering project directory
Multi-Project Support: Works with Python, Node.js, and mixed projects
Version Management: Integrated project version updates with changelog generation
Zero Configuration: Works out of the box with existing conda setups

Quick Start

Prerequisites

VS Code 1.70.0 or higher
Conda (Miniconda/Anaconda) installed and configured
At least one conda environment available
Node.js 16.0.0 or higher (for version management)

Project Structure Example

Minimal Python Project Structure

For the extension to work optimally, your Python project should have this basic structure:


my-python-project/
├── scripts/
│
└── update-version.js # Required for version management
├── package.json # Required for version tracking
├── pyproject.toml # Alternative to package.json
├── environment.yml # Conda environment definition
├── src/
│		│
│		└── my_package/
├── **init**.py
│
└── main.py
├── tests/
│ 	│
│ 	└── test_main.py
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

**Key files for extension functionality:**
- scripts/update-version.js - Version management script
- package.json - Version tracking and project metadata
- environment.yml - Conda environment specification (optional)

Installation

Install the extension:

code --install-extension smart-conda-workspace-1.0.1.vsix

Open your project in VS Code
Configure workspace: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Smart Conda: Configure Workspace"

Commands

Configure Workspace

Command: Smart Conda: Configure Workspace
Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+P → type "configure workspace"
Description: Creates optimized VS Code workspace configuration with shell auto-activation

What it does:

Scans available conda environments
Lets you select the environment for your project
Detects project type (Python/Node.js/Mixed)
Generates .code-workspace file with optimized settings
Configures shell auto-activation (new feature)
Creates backup of shell configuration

Update Project Version

Command: Smart Conda: Update Project Version
Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+P → type "update version"
Description: Manages project versioning using existing scripts

Requirements:

scripts/update-version.js must exist in your project
package.json or pyproject.toml with version field

What it does:

Reads current version from project files
Shows version increment options (patch/minor/major)
Executes your project's scripts/update-version.js
Updates version files and generates changelog

Workflow Example

# 1. Open your project
cd /path/to/your/project
code .

# 2. Configure workspace (Ctrl+Shift+P)
Smart Conda: Configure Workspace
├── Select conda environment: "my-env"
├── Select project type: "Python"
├── ✅ Workspace file created
└── ✅ Shell auto-activation configured

# 3. Close and reopen from workspace file
# Environment now auto-activates when entering project directory

# 4. Update version when needed (Ctrl+Shift+P)
Smart Conda: Update Project Version
├── Current: 1.0.0
├── Select: "minor" → 1.1.0
└── ✅ Version updated + changelog

Shell Auto-Activation

The extension automatically configures your shell to activate the conda environment when you enter the project directory.

Supported Platforms:

Platform	Shell	Configuration File
Windows	PowerShell	`~/Documents/PowerShell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1`
macOS	zsh	`~/.zshrc`
macOS	bash	`~/.bash_profile` or `~/.bashrc`
Linux	bash	`~/.bashrc`

Example Configuration Added:

For Unix systems (macOS/Linux):

# *my-project* - Auto-activation
# Generated by Smart Conda Workspace on [timestamp]
my_project() {
    if [[ "$PWD" == *"/path/to/my-project"* ]]; then
        conda activate my-env 2>/dev/null || true
    fi
}

# ZSH integration
if [[ -n "$ZSH_VERSION" ]]; then
    chpwd_functions+=(my_project)
    my_project  # Activate now
fi

For Windows PowerShell:

# *my-project* - Auto-activation
function my_project {
    $currentPath = Get-Location
    if ($currentPath.Path -like "*C:\path\to\my-project*") {
        conda activate my-env
    }
}
# Auto-trigger on directory change

Generated Workspace Structure

After running "Configure Workspace", you'll get:

your-project.code-workspace
{
  "folders": [{ "path": "." }],
  "settings": {
    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/path/to/conda/envs/your-env/bin/python",
    "python.condaPath": "/path/to/conda/bin/conda",
    "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true,
    "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.osx": "conda-env"
  },
  "extensions": {
    "recommendations": [
      "ms-python.python",
      "ms-python.vscode-pylance"
    ]
  }
}

Project Type Configurations

Python Projects

Settings: Black formatter, Pylint, pytest integration
Extensions: Python, Pylance, Black formatter, Jupyter
Terminal: Auto-activates conda environment

Node.js Projects

Settings: Prettier, TypeScript support, auto-imports
Extensions: Prettier, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
Terminal: Node.js + conda environment

Mixed Projects

Settings: Combined Python + Node.js configuration
Extensions: Both Python and Node.js development tools
Terminal: Full stack development ready

Environment Detection

The extension automatically detects:

Available conda environments via conda env list
Current active environment (shown first in selection)
Python versions for each environment
Project type based on files (package.json, pyproject.toml, etc.)
Platform-specific paths (Windows vs Unix)

Integration with Existing Scripts

This extension integrates with project scripts:

scripts/update-version.js: Called for version management
package.json: Read for current version and metadata
pyproject.toml: Alternative version source for Python projects
environment.yml: Conda environment configuration

Note: The update-version.js script must exist in each project where you want version management, not in the extension itself.

Requirements

For Workspace Configuration:

Any conda environment available
Write permissions in project directory
Shell configuration file write permissions

For Version Updates:

scripts/update-version.js script in your project
package.json or pyproject.toml with version field
Git repository (optional, for automatic commits)

Troubleshooting

"No conda environments found"

Ensure conda is installed and in PATH
Run conda env list in terminal to verify
Check conda initialization in shell configuration

"update-version.js not found"

Ensure scripts/update-version.js exists in your project root (not in the extension)
Check file permissions
Script must be executable Node.js file

"Extension commands not showing"

Reload VS Code window: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"
Check extension is enabled in Extensions panel
Ensure you have a workspace folder open

Shell auto-activation not working

Restart your terminal or run: source ~/.zshrc (Unix) or restart PowerShell (Windows)
Check that the function was added to your shell configuration file
Verify conda is properly initialized in your shell

Package.json Structure for Version Management

To use the "Update Project Version" command, your package.json must include:

{
  "name": "your-project-name",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Your project description",
  "scripts": {
    "version:patch": "node scripts/update-version.js patch",
    "version:minor": "node scripts/update-version.js minor",
    "version:major": "node scripts/update-version.js major"
  },
  "author": "Your Name",
  "license": "MIT"
}

Required fields:

name: Project identifier
version: Current version (semantic versioning)
description: Project description

Recommended fields:

scripts: npm scripts for version management
author: Project author
license: License type

Note: Even for Python-only projects, a minimal package.json is required for version management functionality.

Platform-Specific Notes

Windows

Requires PowerShell (PowerShell 5.x or 7.x supported)
Creates PowerShell profile if it doesn't exist
Uses Windows-style paths and commands

macOS/Linux

Supports zsh and bash shells
Uses Unix-style paths and conda activation
Integrates with existing shell functions

Manual Configuration

If automatic detection fails, you can manually:

Check conda setup:
```
conda --version
conda env list
```

Verify project structure:

ls -la scripts/update-version.js
cat package.json | grep version

Test extension manually:
- Open Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P
- Type: "Smart Conda"
- Select available commands

License

MIT License - feel free to modify and distribute.

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create feature branch
Make changes in vscode-extension/ directory
Test with F5 (Run Extension)
Submit pull request

Support

For issues and feature requests:

Check troubleshooting section above
Verify prerequisites are met
Create detailed issue report with:
- VS Code version
- Operating system
- Conda version
- Project structure
- Error messages

Smart Conda Workspace - Streamline your conda-based development workflow across all platforms!

Smart Conda Workspace

Antonio Demarcus

Smart Conda Workspace

Features

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Project Structure Example

Minimal Python Project Structure

Installation

Commands

Configure Workspace

Update Project Version

Workflow Example

Shell Auto-Activation

Supported Platforms:

Example Configuration Added:

Generated Workspace Structure

Project Type Configurations

Python Projects

Node.js Projects

Mixed Projects

Environment Detection

Integration with Existing Scripts

Requirements

For Workspace Configuration:

For Version Updates:

Troubleshooting

"No conda environments found"

"update-version.js not found"

"Extension commands not showing"

Shell auto-activation not working

Package.json Structure for Version Management

Platform-Specific Notes

Windows

macOS/Linux

Manual Configuration

License

Contributing

Support