OpenSpec - VSCode Extension

Monitor OpenSpec changes in a dedicated panel within Visual Studio Code.

Features

• Dedicated Panel: Display all active OpenSpec changes and their tasks in a native VSCode panel (similar to Problems panel)
• Progress Tracking: Shows completion counts for each change (e.g., "2/5 tasks completed")
• Badge Notifications: Displays a badge with the count of changes with unchecked tasks for at-a-glance status
• Real-time Updates: Automatically refreshes when tasks.md files change
• Hierarchical Display: Organizes tasks by change → section → individual task
• Visual Indicators: Uses checkboxes (☑/☐) to show task completion status
• Click-to-Navigate: Click on any task to open the tasks.md file at the exact line where the task is defined
• Copy Change ID: Right-click on a change to copy its ID for use in CLI commands
• Copy Title: Click on a change with a title to copy the title to clipboard

Requirements

• VSCode version 1.85.0 or higher
• Workspace must contain an openspec/changes/ directory structure

Usage

1. Open a workspace that contains an openspec/changes/ directory
2. The "OpenSpec" panel will automatically appear in the panel area (bottom of VSCode, alongside Problems, Output, Terminal)
3. Expand changes to see sections and individual tasks
4. Click on any task to open the tasks.md file at the specific line where the task is defined
5. The badge on the panel tab shows the count of active changes that have unchecked tasks

Copying Change Information

There are two ways to copy change information:

• Copy Title: Click directly on a change item (with a title) to copy the title to clipboard
• Copy Change ID: Right-click on a change item and select "Copy Change ID" from the context menu

Example: For a change displayed as "VSCode Extension Copy Change ID Button (vscode-copy-change-id-button) - 0/8 tasks completed":

• Clicking the item copies: "VSCode Extension Copy Change ID Button"
• Right-clicking and selecting "Copy Change ID" copies: "vscode-copy-change-id-button"

Panel Location

The OpenSpec panel appears in the bottom panel area by default. You can:

• Show/hide it using the panel toggle button
• Move it to a different location by dragging the panel tab
• Access it via View → OpenSpec in the menu

Configuration

The extension provides the following configuration options:

Auto-Collapse Completed Sections

Setting: openspec.autoCollapseCompletedSections Type: Boolean Default: false

Automatically collapse task sections where all todos are checked. When enabled, sections with all tasks completed will be displayed in a collapsed state, reducing visual clutter and helping you focus on incomplete work.

Enable in Settings UI

1. Open VSCode Settings (File → Preferences → Settings / Cmd+,)
2. Search for "openspec" or "collapse"
3. Check the "Auto Collapse Completed Sections" option

Enable in settings.json

Add this to your workspace or user settings:

{
    "openspec.autoCollapseCompletedSections": true
}

Note: Changes to this setting take effect when the tree view refreshes (on file changes or manual refresh).

Extension Activation

The extension activates automatically when:

• A workspace is opened that contains openspec/changes/ directory

If the directory doesn't exist, the extension remains inactive to avoid performance impact.

Troubleshooting

Extension doesn't activate

• Ensure your workspace contains an openspec/changes/ directory
• Check the VSCode Developer Console (Help → Toggle Developer Tools) for errors
• Try reloading the window (Ctrl+R / Cmd+R in Extension Development Host)

Panel doesn't show tasks

• Verify that tasks.md files exist in change directories
• Check file permissions
• Try refreshing the view using the refresh icon in the panel toolbar

Badge not updating

• The badge updates automatically when tasks.md files change
• You can manually refresh using the refresh command (Ctrl+Shift+P → "OpenSpec: Refresh")

Known Limitations

• Read-only display (cannot edit tasks from the extension)

Future Enhancements

Potential features for future versions:

• Mark tasks complete from the extension
• Filter/search tasks
• Sort by completion status
• Additional configuration options

License

UNLICENSED

Author

István Antal istvan@antal.xyz