ClipCodeRef - Code Reference Clipper for AI

Copy code references in a format optimized for AI coding assistants like Claude Code. Quickly reference specific code locations with file paths and line numbers.

Features

🎯 Single Line Reference

Place your cursor on any line and copy a reference in the format: src/utils/helper.js L15

📋 Range Selection

Select multiple lines to copy range references: src/utils/helper.js L15-L20

⚙️ Multiple Output Formats

• Simple: src/utils/helper.js L15 (default)
• Preview: src/utils/helper.js L15: const result = calculate(x, y);

🚀 Three Ways to Activate

1. Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+C (Mac)
2. Command Palette: "ClipCodeRef: Copy Code Reference"
3. Right-click Menu: "Copy Code Reference"

🗂️ Smart Path Handling

• Single Workspace: Paths relative to workspace root
• Multi-root Workspace: Intelligent workspace name prefixing when needed
• External Files: Absolute paths with home directory shortened to ~
• Unsaved Files: Uses Untitled-1 L<line> format

Installation

Install from the VS Code Marketplace by searching for "ClipCodeRef" or visit the extension page.

Usage Examples

Basic Usage

1. Place cursor on line 42 in src/app.js
2. Press Cmd+Shift+C (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows/Linux)
3. Result copied to clipboard: src/app.js L42

Range Selection

1. Select lines 15-20 in src/utils/helper.js
2. Use any activation method
3. Result: src/utils/helper.js L15-L20

With Code Preview

When clipCodeRef.format is set to "preview":

src/utils/helper.js L15: const result = calculate(x, y);

Multi-root Workspace

When file paths might be ambiguous:

[frontend]/src/components/App.js L10
[backend]/src/utils/helper.js L25

Configuration

This extension contributes the following settings:

clipCodeRef.format

• Type: string
• Default: "simple"
• Options: "simple" | "preview"
• Description: Choose output format for code references

clipCodeRef.trimWhitespace

• Type: boolean
• Default: true
• Description: Remove leading/trailing whitespace from code preview

clipCodeRef.maxLineLength

• Type: number
• Default: 80
• Description: Maximum line length for code preview (longer lines are truncated)

clipCodeRef.multiRootBehavior

• Type: string
• Default: "auto"
• Options: "auto" | "always" | "never"
• Description: How to handle multi-root workspaces
  • "auto": Include workspace name only when paths would be ambiguous
  • "always": Always include workspace name
  • "never": Never include workspace name

clipCodeRef.maxRangeLines

• Type: number
• Default: 50
• Description: Maximum number of lines allowed for range selections

Configuration Example

Add to your VS Code settings.json:

{
  "clipCodeRef.format": "preview",
  "clipCodeRef.trimWhitespace": true,
  "clipCodeRef.maxLineLength": 100,
  "clipCodeRef.multiRootBehavior": "auto",
  "clipCodeRef.maxRangeLines": 25
}

Requirements

• VS Code 1.70.0 or higher
• No external dependencies required

Known Limitations

• Multiple cursors are not supported (shows error message)
• Very large range selections (>50 lines by default) require configuration adjustment
• Web version of VS Code has clipboard API limitations

Use Cases

Perfect for developers who:

• Use AI coding assistants like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot Chat
• Need to reference specific code locations in documentation
• Want to quickly share code references with team members
• Work with multiple projects and need efficient path handling

Performance

• Copy operations complete in <100ms for files up to 10,000 lines
• No impact on VS Code startup time
• Minimal memory footprint

Feedback & Support

• Report issues on GitHub
• Feature requests welcome
• Star the project if you find it useful!

Development

Version Bumping & Releases

This project uses automated version bumping and dual marketplace publishing.

For maintainers:

1. GitHub Actions (Recommended):

   • Go to Actions tab → "Version Bump" workflow
   • Click "Run workflow" and select version type (patch/minor/major)
   • Automatically updates package.json, creates tag, and triggers release

2. Local Development:

   npm run version:patch   # Bug fixes (1.0.0 → 1.0.1)
   npm run version:minor   # New features (1.0.0 → 1.1.0) 
   npm run version:major   # Breaking changes (1.0.0 → 2.0.0)
   

Releases are automatically published to both VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX Registry.

Development Commands

npm install          # Install dependencies
npm run watch        # Development mode
npm run compile      # Build + type check + lint
npm test            # Run test suite
npm run package-vsix # Create .vsix package

License

MIT

Built for developers using AI coding assistants 🤖