Flutter Quick Runner
Run and debug Flutter apps from any file in your project — no need to navigate to main.dart first. Includes a Command Hub, customizable title bar buttons, and a settings webview.
Requires the Dart extension (Dart-Code.dart-code).
Features
Run From Any File
Open any .dart file (or even README.md) inside a Flutter project and hit the ▶ Run button in the editor title bar. The extension automatically detects the project root and resolves the entry point.
- Walks up to find
pubspec.yaml with a flutter: key
- Uses
lib/main.dart by default
- If multiple entry points exist (
lib/main_dev.dart, lib/main_prod.dart), shows a QuickPick with "use once" or "remember" options
- Remembered entry points are stored per-project in workspace state
Without the extension — run button only works when the entry point file is open:
With Flutter Quick Runner — run from any file in your project:
Active Project Indicator
A status bar item shows the currently active Flutter project name. Click it to switch between multiple Flutter projects in a monorepo.
Hot-Reload Skip Warning
When a debug session is active and Dart files have errors, a warning appears in the status bar: ⚠ Hot reload skipped — fix errors first. Click it to open the Problems panel.
Pub Get on pubspec.yaml
When editing pubspec.yaml in a Flutter project, a $(package) button appears in the editor title bar to run pub get with one click.
Command Hub
Run "Flutter Quick Runner: Open Command Hub" to see a categorized QuickPick with all available commands:
| Category |
Commands |
| Packages |
Pub Get, Pub Get All, Pub Upgrade, Pub Upgrade (Major), Pub Outdated, Add Dependency, Add Dev Dependency |
| Build & Clean |
Flutter Clean, Flutter Clean All, Build Runner Build, Build Runner Watch, Generate L10n |
| Run Modes |
Run App, Debug App, Re-run Last, Profile Mode, Release Mode |
| Diagnostics |
Flutter Doctor, Open DevTools |
| Custom |
Your custom commands (see below) |
Custom Commands
Create custom shell commands via the "Create Custom Command" wizard or the Settings webview. Each command supports:
- 4 output modes: Terminal, Panel (Output Channel with spinner), Notification (toast), Silent
- Variable substitution:
${projectRoot}, ${workspaceRoot}, ${activeFile}, ${activeFileDir}
- Concurrency guard: Panel-mode commands won't run twice simultaneously
- Categorization: Assign to a group for organization in the Command Hub
Add up to 4 extra buttons to the editor title bar alongside the Run button. Configure them in settings or the Settings webview. Any built-in or custom command can be assigned to a slot.
Custom commands and title bar buttons in action:
Settings Webview
Run "Flutter Quick Runner: Open Settings" for a visual settings editor with three tabs:
- Title Bar — Drag-and-drop builder for title bar buttons
- Custom Commands — Manage your custom commands
- Keyboard Shortcuts — View all commands and open the VS Code keybindings editor
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Flutter Quick Runner: Run App |
Run without debugging |
Flutter Quick Runner: Debug App |
Start debugging |
Flutter Quick Runner: Re-run Last Debug Session |
Re-run previous session |
Flutter Quick Runner: Run in Profile Mode |
Profile mode |
Flutter Quick Runner: Run in Release Mode |
Release mode |
Flutter Quick Runner: Forget Saved Entry Point |
Clear remembered entry point |
Flutter Quick Runner: Switch Active Project |
Switch project in monorepo |
Flutter Quick Runner: Pub Get |
Run pub get |
Flutter Quick Runner: Open Command Hub |
Categorized command picker |
Flutter Quick Runner: Create Custom Command |
Step-by-step wizard |
Flutter Quick Runner: Open Settings |
Visual settings editor |
Settings
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
flutterQuickRunner.customCommands |
array |
[] |
Custom commands for the Command Hub |
flutterQuickRunner.titleBarButtons |
array |
[] |
Title bar button slots (max 4) |
flutterQuickRunner.outputPanelBehavior |
enum |
clearBeforeEach |
clearBeforeEach or appendAll |
Requirements
- VS Code
^1.80.0
- Dart extension (installed automatically if missing)
- Flutter SDK on PATH (for Flutter commands)
Privacy
This extension collects no telemetry and sends no data to any server.
Author & Publisher
Author: Chinmay Nagar — Industrial Embedded & Connected Systems Engineer
Publisher: ChipNexa — Intelligent Connected Systems. Production-grade software from firmware to cloud.
License
MIT
