CodeStrata – Engineering Assessment

Engineering decisions grounded in code.

Run local Engineering Assessments with CodeStrata Engine from VS Code (Community Edition). Assess one repository at a time, review findings and recommendations, and open a generated Assessment Report— without leaving the editor.

Version: 0.2.1 · Requires: VS Code ^1.85.0 and CodeStrata Engine CLI 0.2.x

What CodeStrata Does

CodeStrata turns repository evidence into findings you can inspect, rerun, and challenge. The VS Code extension is a thin client: it discovers a local Engine CLI, runs assessments you start, and surfaces results in the editor.

It does not replace organizational Platform products, and it does not connect to CodeStrata Platform APIs.

What You Get

• Local repository assessment through CodeStrata Engine
• Findings and recommendations in the CodeStrata activity views
• An Assessment Report (HTML) generated by the Engine
• Optional AI-assisted assessment enrichment (Engine-owned providers)

Screenshots below use synthetic fixture content.

Assessment
Assessment report
Progress
Initialization
Optional AI

Requirements

• VS Code ^1.85.0 (this Community extension supports VS Code only)
• CodeStrata Engine CLI 0.2.x installed and discoverable
• A folder workspace with a CodeStrata configuration before assessment (codestrata.toml, created by Initialize Repository when missing)

The extension does not install the CLI automatically, download binaries, or modify your PATH or shell profile.

Quick Start

1. Install the CodeStrata Engine CLI using the installation guidance (guidance-only from the extension; see also public Engine docs).
2. Open your repository folder in VS Code.
3. Run CodeStrata: Initialize Repository (creates or preserves Engine config).
4. Run CodeStrata: Run Assessment.
5. When prompted after success, open the HTML report—or use CodeStrata: Open HTML Report (or choose Open Report when the assessment completes).
6. Optionally run CodeStrata: Run Assessment with AI if Engine AI providers are configured.

CLI Installation

Use CodeStrata: Install CodeStrata Engine for guided steps (copy a command, open a terminal, or open docs). The extension:

• Can detect a compatible CLI
• Can guide installation
• Does not run package managers for you
• Does not download Engine binaries
• Does not change PATH or shell profiles

Set codestrata.engine.executable only when you need an explicit absolute path.

Repository Initialization

CodeStrata: Initialize Repository asks the Engine to create local configuration (codestrata.toml) when needed. Initialization is:

• Explicit and user-triggered
• Engine-owned (the extension does not write the config file itself)
• Safe for existing valid configuration (no force overwrite)

Assessment requires a ready repository configuration first.

Running an Assessment

CodeStrata: Run Assessment runs a deterministic Engineering Assessment through the local Engine CLI:

1. Workspace and repository readiness
2. Compatible CLI discovery
3. Optional command-local telemetry prompt (eligible assessments only; default Deny)
4. Local Engine process with progress indication
5. Local report artifacts (including HTML when generated)

Results appear in Findings / Recommendations and Problems diagnostics.

Assessment with AI

CodeStrata: Run Assessment with AI is optional and explicitly selected.

The VS Code extension does not directly send repository source to AI providers. When AI assessment is enabled, the local CodeStrata Engine may send provider request content to the AI provider you configure.

• Provider credentials and configuration belong to the Engine (codestrata.toml / environment)—not extension settings
• The extension does not select providers automatically or store API keys

Progress

Assessment progress is indeterminate (status text without a fabricated percentage). You can cancel an in-progress assessment from the progress UI when shown. Progress does not invent per-file or per-finding completion.

Reports

The Engine generates local report artifacts. After a successful assessment you can open the HTML report:

• Open HTML Report opens the current local assessment.html
• Paths are validated before opening
• A missing or failed report open does not change the assessment result

Failure and Recovery

When something fails, the extension explains what happened and suggests user-triggered next steps, for example:

• Install or correct the Engine CLI
• Initialize the repository
• Rerun the assessment
• Open an existing report
• Review installation guidance

Nothing installs, retries, or remediates automatically.

CLI Compatibility

• Older CLI lines (for example 0.1.x) → install a supported 0.2.x CLI
• Newer unsupported minors on major 0 → install a supported 0.2.x CLI
• Major 1.x and above → unsupported until defined
• Missing or invalid version → resolve CLI installation first

Use CodeStrata: CodeStrata Doctor to check environment readiness.

Privacy and Source Locality

• Standard assessment runs through the local Engine CLI
• This extension does not upload repository source to CodeStrata Community services
• Reports and findings remain local unless you explicitly Publish/Share
• Telemetry is optional, prompted only for eligible assessment commands, defaults to Deny, and is not saved
• Community Cloud telemetry ingestion exists in production when a session explicitly opts in with credentials; default assessment does not transmit
• No installation identity or machine identity is used for VS Code UI identity

Canonical docs:

• https://docs.codestrata.ai/security/privacy
• https://docs.codestrata.ai/security/data-collection
• https://docs.codestrata.ai/security/source-locality
• https://docs.codestrata.ai/security/retention-and-deletion

AI assessment is qualified separately above: Engine-owned provider flow may use an external provider when you configure one.

Telemetry

For Run Assessment and Run Assessment with AI only:

• When preference is undecided, VS Code may prompt ([y/N] equivalent; default Deny)
• Explicit Allow / No Thanks is persisted in extension globalState
• Preference can be changed via Telemetry Settings
• Telemetry opt-in is not report-publish authorization

Init, install guidance, report open, and recovery actions do not prompt for telemetry.

Publish / Share

Publish/Share Current Report is an explicit command. Assessment never auto-publishes. Successful publish returns an opaque https://reports.codestrata.ai/r/<id> URL. See https://docs.codestrata.ai/extensions/vscode and https://api.codestrata.ai (Community API authority).

Security

See SECURITY.md and PRIVACY.md.

• Extension does not upload source to Community services
• Local CLI boundary for assessment
• Telemetry preference may be stored locally after an explicit choice (default remains disabled/undecided)
• AI provider credentials are not stored in extension settings

Known Limitations

• CLI auto-install is not supported (guidance only)
• Extension 0.2.1 requires Engine CLI 0.2.x
• Progress is indeterminate (no percentage completion)
• Optional AI depends on Engine provider configuration
• VS Code Marketplace publication is not complete for this candidate; install from a packaged VSIX until Marketplace release readiness publishes it

Commands

Settings

Community vs Platform

Support

• Documentation: https://docs.codestrata.ai/extensions/vscode
• Privacy: PRIVACY.md
• Security: SECURITY.md
• Support: SUPPORT.md
• Website: https://codestrata.ai

License

MIT — see LICENSE.