VS Code Changie
Manage changie changelog entries without leaving your editor. Add new entries, batch them into a release, and browse your full release history — all from the VS Code sidebar.
Features
Unreleased Changes panel
The sidebar shows all pending changelog entries grouped by kind. Click any entry to open its source YAML file. When there are no pending entries, the panel shows a clear empty state.
Releases panel
Browse every past release in a collapsible tree: version and date at the top level, change kinds as groups, individual entries underneath. Click any item to open the corresponding release file.
Commands
All commands are available from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):
| Command |
Description |
| Changie: Add New Changelog Entry |
Prompts for kind and description, then writes a new entry file via the changie new CLI |
| Changie: Batch for Release |
Collects unreleased entries into a versioned release file and immediately merges all versions into CHANGELOG.md. Choose auto, major, minor, patch, or a custom version string. Equivalent to running changie batch <version> && changie merge. When changie.updateVersionFiles is enabled, also updates the version field in package.json and package-lock.json to match the new release. |
| Changie: Merge Changelog |
Runs changie merge to combine all versioned files into CHANGELOG.md without batching |
| Changie: Open CHANGELOG.md |
Opens the merged changelog in the editor |
| Changie: Refresh |
Manually re-reads the changes directory |
Toolbar buttons for the most common actions appear at the top of each sidebar panel.
Inline actions
Right-click any unreleased entry in the sidebar to delete it.
Status bar
A status bar item shows the count of unreleased entries. Click it to add a new entry.
Multi-workspace support
All workspace folders are scanned for a .changie.yaml configuration. Entries and releases from every folder appear together. When a kind has entries from more than one workspace, the workspace name is shown alongside the kind label.
Requirements
The changie CLI must be available. The extension looks for it in this order:
- The path configured in
changie.executablePath
node_modules/.bin/changie in the workspace root- Common system locations (
~/go/bin, /opt/homebrew/bin, /usr/local/bin, ~/.local/bin)
changie on $PATH
Install changie via the official instructions or as an npm dev dependency:
npm install --save-dev changie
If changie is not found when running a command, the extension shows a clear error message. When changie is listed in package.json but not yet installed (e.g. after a fresh clone), the error includes a Run npm ci button to install dependencies without leaving VS Code.
Configuration
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
changie.executablePath |
(empty) |
Explicit path to the changie binary. Leave empty to use auto-detection. |
changie.updateVersionFiles |
true |
When enabled, Batch for Release automatically updates the version field in package.json (and package-lock.json if present) to match the new release version. A warning is shown if package.json exists but has no version field. Disable this if your project manages version bumps separately. |
changie.autoCommitOnNewEntry |
true |
When enabled, automatically creates a git commit after adding a new changelog entry. Stages all files in the unreleased changes directory. |
changie.autoCommitOnBatchRelease |
false |
When enabled, automatically creates a git commit after batching and merging a release. Stages the changes directory, CHANGELOG.md, and (if updateVersionFiles is enabled) package.json and package-lock.json. |
changie.commitMessageNewEntry |
"Updated changelog" |
Commit message used when auto-committing a new changelog entry. |
changie.commitMessageBatchRelease |
"Preparing release <version>" |
Commit message used when auto-committing a batched release. Use <version> as a placeholder for the resolved version string (e.g. "chore: release <version>"). |
Getting started
- Add a
.changie.yaml to your workspace root (run changie init if you don't have one yet).
- Open the Changie panel in the activity bar.
- Click + to add your first changelog entry.
The sidebar refreshes automatically when entry files are created, modified, or deleted.
