Cyclopt for Visual Studio Code
Professional code quality analysis powered by Cyclopt. Get instant feedback on code metrics, security vulnerabilities, style violations, code duplication, and dependency issues.
Quick Start
1. Install the Extension
- Open VS Code Extensions (
Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
- Search for "Cyclopt"
- Click Install
2. Set Your API Token
- Get your token from Cyclopt Dashboard
- Open Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
- Run Cyclopt: Set API Token
- Paste your token
3. Run Your First Analysis
- Keyboard:
Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+A (Mac)
- Command Palette: Cyclopt: Analyze Current File
- Editor Menu: Click the play button in the top-right corner
Results appear in three places:
- Cyclopt Sidebar - Click the Cyclopt icon in the Activity Bar
- Problems Panel -
Ctrl+Shift+M / Cmd+Shift+M
- Editor - Inline highlights on affected lines
Features at a Glance
Code Analysis
Multiple Analyzers - Run comprehensive checks on your code:
- Metrics - Complexity, maintainability, lines of code
- Violations - Code style, anti-patterns, best practices
- SAST - Security vulnerabilities, injection flaws
- Duplication - Duplicated and similar code blocks
- Vulnerabilities - Known CVEs in dependencies
Automatic Analysis - Optional triggers for seamless workflow:
- Analyze on Save - Run analysis every time you save
- AI Detection - Auto-analyze when Copilot/AI tools generate code
Smart Filtering - Focus on what matters:
- Filter by severity (critical, high, major, minor)
- Quick filters: critical/high only, critical/high/major, all
- Hide noise, fix critical issues first
Results & Insights
Live Status Tracking - Always know the state of your code:
- Real-time progress with elapsed time
- Timestamp of last analysis
- Previous results visible during new analysis
Editor Safety - Prevents conflicts during analysis:
- Editor freezes during manual analysis
- Stays editable during AI-triggered analysis
- Visual lock indicator in status bar
Inline Decorations - Issues highlighted directly in code:
- Color-coded by severity (red, orange, blue)
- Hover for details
- Auto-tracks as you edit
AI Integration
Copy for AI Assistance - Right-click any issue to:
- Copy Issue Info - Get detailed information
- Create AI Prompt - Generate ready-to-use fix prompt with code context
Perfect for GitHub Copilot Chat, ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI assistant.
Copilot Instructions - Auto-generate .github/copilot-instructions.md:
- Teaches Copilot about Cyclopt
- Suggests commands for quality checks
- Integrates analysis into AI workflow
Quality Gates
Pre-Commit Hook - Block commits with critical issues:
- Install directly from VS Code
- Installed per git repository, not globally for every project
- Analyzes staged files before commit
- Blocks high-priority issues
- Results auto-load into sidebar
Export Results - Share findings and track progress:
- JSON, CSV, or Markdown formats
- Complete issue details
- Statistics and summaries
Smart Notifications
Auto-Dismiss - Simple confirmations disappear after 3 seconds
Persistent - Important messages stay until dismissed
Status Bar - Transient messages appear briefly, then vanish
Settings
Access settings in two ways:
- Visual Panel: Command Palette → Cyclopt: Open Settings
- VS Code Settings:
Ctrl+, → Search "Cyclopt"
Key Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
cyclopt.apiBaseUrl |
https://server.cyclopt.com |
Cyclopt API base URL |
cyclopt.apiToken |
— |
Required. Your API token |
cyclopt.analyzers |
All enabled |
Which analyzers to run |
cyclopt.analyzeOnSave |
false |
Auto-analyze when saving files |
cyclopt.analyzeOnAIModification |
true |
Auto-analyze when AI generates code |
cyclopt.severityFilter |
All shown |
Which severity levels to display |
cyclopt.autoInstallHook |
false |
Auto-install the pre-commit hook in git repositories opened in VS Code |
cyclopt.preCommitHookActive |
true |
Keep the installed hook active without uninstalling it |
Pre-Commit Hook Setup
The Cyclopt pre-commit hook is installed into the current repository's .git/hooks/pre-commit file. Git does not share that file across repositories or machines, so each repository where you want commit-time checks must install the hook once.
Install it from VS Code in either of these ways:
- Command Palette → Cyclopt: Install Pre-Commit Hook
- Settings → search Cyclopt → use Install Pre-Commit Hook
If cyclopt.autoInstallHook is left at its default false, Cyclopt will not install the hook automatically when you open a repository.
How the Pre-Commit Hook Works
When you run git commit, the hook collects staged files, submits them to the Cyclopt API for analysis, and either blocks the commit or allows it based on the findings.
After the hook finishes, results are automatically loaded into the Cyclopt sidebar in VS Code.
Severity and Blocking Behaviour
| Severity |
Analyzers |
Effect |
critical, major, high, error |
SAST, Violations, Vulnerabilities |
Blocks the commit |
moderate, medium, minor, warning |
SAST, Violations, Vulnerabilities |
Warning shown, commit allowed |
Network errors, analysis failures, and timeouts are always non-blocking, the hook exits 0 so that infrastructure issues never prevent legitimate commits.
Skipping the Hook for a Single Commit
To bypass the hook once without uninstalling it:
# Environment variable — skip only this commit
CYCLOPT_SKIP=1 git commit -m "your message"
# Git built-in flag — skips all hooks
git commit --no-verify -m "your message"
Commands
Access all commands via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):
Analysis
Cyclopt: Analyze Current File - Analyze active file
Cyclopt: Analyze Selected Files - Analyze selected files/folders
Cyclopt: Select Analyzers & Analyze - Choose analyzers to run
Cyclopt: Clear Results - Clear all findings
Filtering
Cyclopt: Show Critical and High Only - Display only critical and high severity
Cyclopt: Show Critical, High, and Major - Critical, high, and major severity
Cyclopt: Show All Severities - Show everything
Results
Cyclopt: Export Analysis Results - Export to JSON/CSV/Markdown
Configuration
Cyclopt: Open Settings - Visual settings panel
Cyclopt: Set API Token - Configure API token
Cyclopt: Generate Copilot Instructions - Create AI instructions
Cyclopt: Install Pre-Commit Hook - Install the hook in the current repository
Cyclopt: Uninstall Pre-Commit Hook - Remove the hook from the current repository
Cyclopt: Activate Pre-Commit Hook - Re-enable an installed hook
Cyclopt: Deactivate Pre-Commit Hook - Disable an installed hook without removing it
Supported Languages
Analysis: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, PHP, Dart
Dependency Scanning: package.json, requirements.txt, pom.xml, build.gradle, pubspec.yaml, composer.json, and more
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action |
Windows/Linux |
Mac |
| Analyze Current File |
Ctrl+Shift+A |
Cmd+Shift+A |
| Open Problems Panel |
Ctrl+Shift+M |
Cmd+Shift+M |
| Command Palette |
Ctrl+Shift+P |
Cmd+Shift+P |
License
See LICENSE file for details.