DropDrop for VS Code

Drop it. Share it. Sync it.

Create or join a shared text/code room in VS Code. Anyone who opens the same room name, in VS Code or on the DropDrop website, edits the same document in real time. No account, no login.

Features

Create Room / Join Room: pick a name (or get a random one) and start editing.
Real-time collaboration with other VS Code windows and the DropDrop website (Yjs CRDT: simultaneous edits merge, nothing is overwritten).
Syntax highlighting, line numbers, language selector, copy, select all, Clear (with confirmation), undo / redo (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y; they only undo your edits).
Honest status: Connecting / Connected / Disconnected / Reconnecting, a ✓ Saved indicator confirmed by the server, and a participant count that only shows real, currently connected people.
Automatic reconnection. Edits made while offline are kept and merged when the connection returns.
Copy Room Link gives the website URL for the room.

Commands (Command Palette, `Ctrl+Shift+P`)

Command	What it does
`DropDrop: Open DropDrop`	Open the editor for the current room (or choose Create/Join)
`DropDrop: Join Room`	Enter a room name; creates the room if it is new
`DropDrop: Create Room`	Generates a random, unused room name and joins it
`DropDrop: Leave Room`	Disconnects; the document stays saved on the server
`DropDrop: Copy Room Link`	Copies `https://<your website>/<room>`

The DropDrop activity-bar icon shows the current room, status, participants and the same actions.

⚠️ Privacy: rooms are not password protected

Anyone who knows (or guesses) a room name can read and edit its document. Use an unguessable name for anything private, and do not put secrets (passwords, API keys, personal data) in a room. Documents are stored on the DropDrop server's database until they are cleared. The extension never sends anything except the room name and document edits to the server you configure.

Settings

Setting	Default	Example for a local development server
`dropdrop.apiUrl`	`https://dropdrop-backend.onrender.com`	`http://localhost:5000`
`dropdrop.websocketUrl`	`wss://dropdrop-backend.onrender.com`	`ws://localhost:5000`
`dropdrop.publicAppUrl`	`https://drop-drops.vercel.app`	`http://localhost:5173`

API URLs must start with http:// or https://; the WebSocket URL with ws:// or wss:// (/ws is added for you). Leave websocketUrl empty to derive it from apiUrl.
Use https:// and wss:// for any server on the internet. The extension rejects https + ws mixes and warns about plain http/ws to non-local hosts.
Invalid values produce a notification explaining exactly what to fix, with a button to open the settings.
The defaults point at the hosted DropDrop service, the same one the website uses, so rooms are shared between the two. Change all three together if you run your own server.

Running your own server

DropDrop is self-hosted: see the project repository for the backend (Node.js + MongoDB) and website (Vercel) deployment guide.

Free hosted servers can be slow to wake

If your DropDrop server runs on a free hosting plan, it may go to sleep when idle. The first request can then take up to a minute: DropDrop shows "Waking the DropDrop server. This may take up to a minute." with a Cancel button, and opens your room as soon as the server answers. A wrong server address is reported immediately instead.

Known limitations

Plain text only. Maximum 500,000 characters per room.
No access control (see the privacy note above).
One active room per VS Code window.

License

MIT

DropDrop