SBATCH Syntax Highlighting and SLURM Job Submission for VS Code

This extension provides syntax highlighting and job submission features for .sbatch files used with SLURM job scheduling.

Features

• Syntax highlighting for .sbatch files: seven semantic categories (directive, option, identifier, string/path, numeric, special, comment) with option-aware value parsing (--mem=32G → number + unit, --time literals, %j placeholders, GRES type/model/count, $SLURM_* variables).
• Linting of #SBATCH directives before submission (missing --time, conflicting --mem/--mem-per-cpu) with a Submit Anyway option.
• Right-click to submit a SLURM job — logs land next to the script, unsaved edits are saved first, and the popup offers Open Log / Open Folder / View Details.
• Shift+Enter submits the open script (from the editor or the job list).
• Live job list — a merged active + history table with 1-second auto-refresh, date-range and state filters, sortable columns, row search, summary chips, per-row log/err buttons, and click-to-cancel. Paints instantly from a per-file cache.
• Theme-aware webview that follows your VS Code theme (light / dark / high-contrast).
• Security: all SLURM commands run without a shell (no injection risk); webview inputs are validated; jobs are attributed per-script using the actual working directory.
• File icon for .sbatch files for easy identification.

Installation

• Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace.
• Or build and install from source (see Development).

How to Use

1. Open any .sbatch file in VS Code to see syntax highlighting.
2. Right-click on the .sbatch file in the file explorer and select:
   • Submit a SLURM Job from This File to submit the job. The default slurm-<jobid>.out log (or the path from the script's --output/--error directives) is written next to the script; the success popup lets you Open Log or Open Folder, and errors can be expanded via View Details.
   • List Submitted Jobs from This File to view active jobs and full accounting history in a single live table (auto-refreshes every second, theme-aware). Use the period selector (last 24 hours / 7 days / 30 days / all time / custom date range), the state filter, and the row search box to narrow results. Click column headers to sort; click active job rows to cancel them; use the log/err buttons on any row to open the job's output files. Press Shift+Enter (in the webview or in a .sbatch editor) to submit the file.

Syntax Highlighting

Directives are highlighted in seven semantic categories (colors follow your theme):

Structured values are parsed in the context of their option rather than colored wholesale: --time accepts only time literals, --mem/--mem-per-cpu/--mem-per-gpu only number + unit quantities, --output/--error a filename grammar with %j-style placeholders, --nodes/--ntasks/--cpus-per-task/--gpus numeric counts, and --mail-type/--mail-on-event known enum values (ALL, BEGIN, END, …). So --mem=32G splits into number + unit while --job-name=32G stays a plain value, and a partition named END is never colored as an enum. Slurm-provided variables ($SLURM_JOBID) are distinguished from ordinary shell variables ($HOME), any number of extra # characters disables a directive (##SBATCH, ###SBATCH), and plain identifiers like main stay uncolored. Forms SLURM rejects are flagged with invalid.illegal.sbatch (dangling --, whitespace around =, e.g. --job-name = x). General comments and the rest of the file follow standard bash syntax colors.

Styling disabled directives distinctly

##SBATCH lines use the dedicated comment.line.disabled.sbatch scope, so you can give them a muted/italic look while keeping comment semantics. Add to your settings:

"editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
  "textMateRules": [
    {
      "scope": "comment.line.disabled.sbatch",
      "settings": { "fontStyle": "italic", "foreground": "#6f6f6f" }
    }
  ]
}

Job Management

View SLURM jobs submitted from a specific .sbatch file in a single merged table (active + history): full accounting columns (Start, End, ExitCode, TimeLimit), configurable period (last 24 hours / 7 days / 30 days / all time / custom date range), a state filter, row search, sortable columns, and summary chips. The table auto-refreshes every second; running jobs' elapsed time ticks live. Click an active row to cancel it with scancel; use the log/err buttons on any row to open the job's stdout/stderr file.

Requirements

Make sure sbatch, squeue, sacct, and scancel (SLURM commands) are available in your system's PATH. When working on a cluster login node, open the folder in VS Code via Remote-SSH so the extension runs where SLURM is installed.

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or newer
• VS Code

Setup and checks

npm install
npm test        # unit tests (44 at v0.0.3)
npm run lint    # ESLint
npm run package # build sbatch-<version>.vsix

Development workflow

main is protected: work happens on feature branches and lands via pull requests with a green CI run (.github/workflows/ci.yml runs lint + test). Every task is tracked as a GitHub issue on the roadmap board, and commits reference their issue (Fixes #N).

1. Pick an issue from the board (or create one).
2. git checkout -b feat/xxx and implement.
3. git push origin feat/xxx → open a PR that closes the issue.
4. Merge when CI passes.

Testing the extension on a remote host (Remote-SSH)

The extension talks to SLURM, so it must run on the machine where sbatch/squeue/sacct/scancel exist (typically a login node).

1. Install the Remote - SSH extension and connect to this host (Remote-SSH: Connect to Host...).
2. Open this repository as the remote workspace folder.
3. Run npm install in the remote terminal.
4. Press F5 (or run the Extension launch config) - an Extension Development Host window opens on the remote, with the extension loaded.
5. In the new window:
   • Open sample.sbatch and verify highlighting (active #SBATCH, ##SBATCH disabled lines, bash body).
   • Press Ctrl+/ on a line to verify comment toggling now inserts #.
   • Right-click the file in the explorer → Submit a SLURM Job from This File.
   • Right-click → List Submitted Jobs from This File to see the webview.

Alternatively, build the package and install the .vsix in the remote:

npm run package   # creates sbatch-0.0.3.vsix

Then in the remote Extensions view: ⋯ → Install from VSIX... and pick the file.

Build instructions

1. Clone the repository.
2. Run npm install to install the dependencies.
3. Run npm run package to create the .vsix file.

To cut a release (once issues are merged):

git tag v0.0.3 && git push origin v0.0.3
git push origin main
gh release create v0.0.3 sbatch-0.0.3.vsix --generate-notes

Publishing to the VS Code Marketplace is a separate step that requires a publisher token (vsce publish).

Release Notes

For the license, see LICENSE

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.

0.0.3

• Security: SLURM commands run without a shell (no injection risk); webview job IDs and log paths are validated; findLogPaths results are normalized.
• Grammar: seven semantic categories and option-aware value parsing (--time, --mem*, --output/--error, numeric counts, --mail-type enums, GRES type/model/count), $SLURM_* variables, invalid.illegal scope, disabled ##SBATCH/###SBATCH directives.
• Job list: live 1s auto-refresh (client-rendered), single merged active + history table, date-range + state filters, sortable columns, row search, summary chips, theme-aware, per-row log/err buttons, click-to-cancel, per-file persistent cache, WorkDir-aware job attribution, dedupe of running jobs.
• Submit: logs next to the script, Open Log / Open Folder / View Details, lint before submit, save-before-submit, Shift+Enter keybinding.
• Fix: Ctrl+/ comment toggling inserts #; extension activates only for .sbatch; README/CHANGELOG included in the package; progress notification ends with submission.
• Quality: 44 unit tests + ESLint + npm run package; CI workflow.

0.0.2

• Improved syntax highlighting for SLURM directives with better argument parsing
• Added language icon for .sbatch files
• New command to list active jobs submitted from a specific file
• Removed full icon theme (now using built-in language icon)

0.0.1

• Initial release with syntax highlighting and SLURM job submission command.

For more information, visit our repository.