Dev Starter
Dev Starter scans your workspace for Node.js apps and helps you install and run them from one button in the VS Code title bar.
Project Links
Why Dev Starter?
Many projects now keep a frontend and backend inside one workspace folder. Dev Starter is built for that flow.
It can:
- Search subfolders for every
package.json
- Detect likely frontend and backend apps
- Install dependencies when
node_modules is missing
- Start the best script from each app's
package.json
- Run frontend, backend, or both in separate terminals
How It Works
- Open a workspace that contains one or more Node.js projects.
- Click the Dev Starter icon in the editor title bar.
- Pick what you want to run:
- frontend
- backend
- frontend + backend
- a single detected project
- Dev Starter opens the correct terminal for each app, runs install if needed, and then starts the detected script.
Smart Detection
Dev Starter looks for:
package.json files across the workspace- lockfiles to detect
npm, yarn, or pnpm
- common frontend dependencies such as
react, next, vue, and vite
- common backend dependencies such as
express, fastify, nestjs, and database packages
- common scripts such as
dev, start, serve, and preview
- Package managers:
npm, yarn, pnpm
- Scripts:
dev, start, serve, preview
- Workspace style: single app, frontend/backend split, and multi-folder Node.js workspaces
Local Testing
- Open this project in VS Code.
- Press
F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.
- Open a workspace that contains frontend and backend folders with their own
package.json.
- Click the Dev Starter icon and test the picker flow.
Roadmap
- [x] Support frontend + backend monorepos
- [ ] Let users choose a custom script when multiple scripts exist
- [ ] Add a stop action for launched terminals
- [ ] Improve detection for more full-stack templates
Built for developers who want setup and startup to feel automatic.
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