Brainfile for VSCode
A protocol-first task management system for AI-assisted development.
Brainfile provides a visual kanban board interface for managing tasks defined in brainfile.md files using YAML frontmatter. Built on @brainfile/core - the official Brainfile parser and serializer.
✨ Features
- 📋 Visual Kanban Board - View and organize tasks in customizable columns
- 🎯 Drag & Drop - Intuitive task movement between columns
- 🔄 Live Sync - Automatic updates when editing markdown files
- 📝 Task Templates - Pre-built templates for bugs, features, and refactors
- ✅ Progress Tracking - Subtask completion and visual indicators
- 🎨 Priority Levels - Color-coded task priorities (low, medium, high, critical)
- 🏷️ Tag Support - Organize and filter tasks with tags
- 📏 Project Rules - Define always/never/prefer/context rules for your team
- 🤖 AI-Friendly - Designed for seamless AI agent integration
🚀 Quick Start
- Install the extension from the VSCode Marketplace
- Create a
brainfile.md file in your project root
- Open the folder in VSCode - the Brainfile sidebar appears automatically
- Start managing tasks with the visual board
📝 Example brainfile.md
---
schema: https://brainfile.md/v1
title: My Project
agent:
instructions:
- Modify only the YAML frontmatter
- Preserve all IDs
columns:
- id: todo
title: To Do
tasks:
- id: task-1
title: Implement user authentication
priority: high
tags: [backend, security]
- id: in-progress
title: In Progress
tasks: []
- id: done
title: Done
tasks: []
---
# My Project Tasks
This is your task board.
🎨 Smart Autocomplete with Built-in Templates
Brainfile provides intelligent IntelliSense autocomplete when editing brainfile.md files. No need for buttons or commands - just start typing!
Built-in Templates
When adding a new task in the tasks: array, trigger autocomplete to insert full task templates:
🐛 Bug Report
- High priority
- Includes reproduction steps structure
- Tags: bug, needs-triage
✨ Feature Request
- Medium priority
- Includes use cases and acceptance criteria
- Tags: feature, enhancement
🔧 Code Refactor
- Low priority
- Includes analysis and testing plan
- Tags: refactor, technical-debt
How to Use Templates
While editing brainfile.md:
- Navigate to a
tasks: array in your YAML frontmatter
- Press
Ctrl+Space (or your autocomplete trigger key)
- Select a template from the completion list (🐛 Bug Report, ✨ Feature Request, or 🔧 Code Refactor)
- Fill in the placeholder values using Tab to navigate
Smart Field Completions
Autocomplete also suggests:
- Field names:
title, description, priority, tags, status, etc.
- Priority values:
critical, high, medium, low
- Status values:
todo, in-progress, done, blocked
- Common fields with snippets for quick navigation
🔧 Commands
- Brainfile: Refresh - Manually refresh the task board
- Brainfile: Create Board - Initialize a new brainfile.md
- Brainfile: Add Task - Quick task creation
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl+Shift+T / Cmd+Shift+T - Add new task (when board is active)
🔗 Ecosystem
The Brainfile extension is part of a complete task management ecosystem:
CLI Tool:
# Install globally
npm install -g @brainfile/cli
# Add tasks from terminal
brainfile add --title "Fix login bug" --priority high
# Changes sync automatically with VSCode
AI Agents:
Brainfile is designed for AI agent compatibility. The extension respects agent instructions in your brainfile.md:
agent:
instructions:
- Modify only the YAML frontmatter
- Preserve all IDs
- Keep ordering
Learn more: AI Agent Integration Guide
📚 Documentation
🐛 Issues & Support
📄 License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
🌟 Contributing
Contributions are welcome! See the Contributing Guide
Made with ❤️ by the Brainfile team
Website: brainfile.md | GitHub: @brainfile
