Thecore VS Code Extension
A Visual Studio Code extension that streamlines the creation and maintenance of Thecore 3 Ruby on Rails applications and modular engines (ATOMs).
The extension enforces conventions on file and folder names and structures, automates boilerplate generation, and promotes a dynamic, introspection-based approach to development — favouring convention over configuration and sensible defaults.
Installation
From the VS Code Marketplace
Search for Thecore in the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X) and click Install.
From a VSIX file
Download the .vsix file from the Releases page, then run Extensions: Install from VSIX... from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
Commands
Commands are accessible from the explorer context menu (right-click) and from the Command Palette.
Main application context
These commands appear when right-clicking on any folder outside vendor/submodules/.
| Command |
Title |
Description |
thecore.setupDevcontainer |
Thecore 3: Setup Devcontainer |
Creates the .devcontainer configuration (Dockerfile, docker-compose) for the current workspace. |
thecore.createApp |
Thecore 3: Create an App |
Scaffolds a new Thecore 3 Rails application with all required dependencies and folder structure. |
thecore.createATOM |
Thecore 3: Create an ATOM |
Creates a new Rails engine (ATOM) as a reusable, self-contained submodule. |
thecore.addModel |
Thecore 3: Add a Model |
Generates a Rails model with its migration and the standard Thecore concern structure (Api, RailsAdmin, Endpoints) directly in the main application. |
ATOM context
These commands appear when right-clicking on a folder directly inside vendor/submodules/ (i.e., on an ATOM root folder).
| Command |
Title |
Description |
thecore.addModel |
Thecore 3: Add a Model |
Generates a Rails model with its migration and the standard Thecore concern structure (Api, RailsAdmin, Endpoints) inside the selected ATOM. |
thecore.addMigration |
Thecore 3: Add a DB Migration |
Creates a new database migration inside the selected ATOM. |
thecore.addRootAction |
Thecore 3: Add a Root Action |
Generates a root-level action for the rails_admin backend UI (dashboard-style main menu section), including controller, view, assets, and i18n entries. |
thecore.addMemberAction |
Thecore 3: Add a Member Action |
Generates a member-level action for the rails_admin backend UI (per-row button in model list views), including controller, view, assets, and i18n entries. |
Usage
- Open the Explorer panel.
- Right-click on the relevant folder:
- On the project root or any folder outside
vendor/submodules/ to access main-app commands.
- On an ATOM folder inside
vendor/submodules/ to access ATOM-specific commands.
- Select the desired Thecore 3 command.
Command Palette
- Open the Command Palette with
Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS).
- Type
Thecore and select the desired command.
Note: commands that require a folder context (such as Add a Model) may prompt you to select a target folder when invoked from the Command Palette.
Model structure
When Add a Model is run, the extension:
- Runs
rails g model to generate the migration and the base model file.
- In ATOM context: moves the generated files into the ATOM's
db/migrate/ and app/models/ directories.
In main app context: files remain in the standard Rails locations.
- Creates the following concern files:
| File |
Module |
Purpose |
app/models/concerns/api/<model>.rb |
Api::<Model> |
Controls JSON serialization via ModelDrivenApi.smart_merge |
app/models/concerns/rails_admin/<model>.rb |
RailsAdmin::<Model> |
Configures the rails_admin UI (navigation label, icon) |
app/models/concerns/endpoints/<model>.rb |
Endpoints::<Model> |
Defines custom non-CRUD API endpoints (OpenAPI/Swagger documented) |
- Adds
include Api::<Model> and include RailsAdmin::<Model> to the generated model class.
Requirements
The following tools must be available in the environment:
- Ruby
- Rails
- Bundler (
bundle)
Using the provided devcontainer satisfies all requirements automatically.
Publishing a new release
Releases are automated via GitHub Actions and triggered by pushing a version tag.
# Bump the version in package.json first, then:
git tag v3.0.7
git push origin v3.0.7
The workflow builds the extension, creates a GitHub Release with the .vsix attached, and publishes to the VS Code Marketplace.
The VSCE_PAT secret (Azure DevOps Personal Access Token with Marketplace → Manage scope) must be configured in the repository's GitHub Actions secrets.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome. Please open a pull request or create an issue to propose changes or report bugs.
