Context Generator
Generate AI-ready code context from your project files — copy your codebase into a single markdown document ready to paste into Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM.
Installation
Install directly from the VS Code Marketplace, or search "Context Generator" in the Extensions sidebar (Cmd+Shift+X).
Features
- Folder context — right-click any folder in the Explorer and generate context for it
- Open files context — capture all currently open editor tabs in one shot
- Smart ignore/keep rules — glob-based ignore patterns with
! un-ignore overrides
- Include filters — scope output to specific paths (e.g.
src/**)
- Always-append includes — automatically append key files (e.g. your schema or config) to every generation
- Multiple profiles — save different configurations for different tasks (e.g. "Frontend", "API", "Full Stack")
- Editable global defaults — tweak or reset the built-in safety ignore list
- Intro text — prepend a custom prompt or instructions to every output
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Context Generator: Configure Settings |
Open the settings UI |
Context Generator: Open Files |
Generate context from all open editor tabs |
Context Generator: Selected Folder |
Generate context from a right-clicked folder |
Access via Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) / Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux), or right-click a folder in the Explorer.
Ignore & Keep Patterns
Patterns use standard glob syntax (powered by micromatch), one per line.
Ignoring files
**/tests/**
**/*.spec.ts
seed_data.js
Force-keeping files inside ignored directories
Prefix a pattern with ! to un-ignore it even if its parent directory is ignored:
**/transcoding/**
!Transcoder.js
This will skip everything in transcoding/ except Transcoder.js.
How keep patterns work
| Pattern |
Behaviour |
!Transcoder.js |
Keeps any file named Transcoder.js anywhere in the tree (bare filename, matched by basename) |
!src/core/** |
Keeps everything under src/core/ even if src/ is ignored |
!**/AgentView.js |
Keeps any AgentView.js anywhere in the tree |
Safety barrier — default-ignored directories (node_modules, .git, etc.) are never traversed by global bare-filename keeps. Only an explicit child path keep (e.g. !node_modules/mypkg/patch.js) can unlock them.
Default Ignored Paths
The following are ignored by default across all profiles. You can edit or reset this list in Settings → Global Defaults.
- Source control:
.git/, .gitignore
- Dependencies:
node_modules/, lock files
- Build output:
dist/, build/, coverage/
- Python:
__pycache__/, .venv/, *.pyc
- Media & fonts: images, video, PDF, web fonts
- Mobile:
android/, ios/
- Logs & env:
*.log, .env, .DS_Store
- Output loop prevention:
*-context.md, code-context.md
Profiles
Create named profiles to switch between different generation configs instantly.
- Default — always present, cannot be deleted
- Add profiles via the
+ button in the settings UI
- Each profile stores its own Include Patterns, Ignore Patterns, Intro Text, and Always-Append setting
- Global Default Ignores are shared across all profiles
Settings UI
Open via Context Generator: Configure Settings.
Configuration tab
| Field |
Description |
| Include Patterns |
Only include files matching these globs. Leave empty to include everything not ignored. |
| Always append includes |
When generating from Open Files or a folder selection, always append the Include Patterns output at the end. Useful for always attaching a schema, config, or shared types file. |
| User Ignore Patterns |
Extra patterns to ignore (or ! keep) on top of the global defaults. |
| Intro Text |
Prepended verbatim to every output — use this for LLM instructions or project context. |
Global Defaults tab
Edit the baseline ignore list applied to every profile. Use Reset to Factory Defaults to restore the original list.
Generated context opens as a new Markdown editor tab. It contains:
- Your Intro Text (if set)
- A directory tree of included files
- Each file's content in a fenced code block, labelled with its relative path
### src/server/index.ts
```ts
import express from 'express';
...
You can then copy the entire document and paste it into your LLM of choice.
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## Tips
- Use **Include Patterns** to scope a large monorepo down to just the relevant package before generating
- Use **Always-append includes** to attach shared types or a database schema to every generation without having to include them manually each time
- Use **Intro Text** to embed a standing prompt like `"You are reviewing a Node.js API. Focus on error handling and type safety."` so it's always included
- Generate from **open files** when you want precise control — open exactly the files relevant to your question, then run the command
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## Requirements
- VS Code 1.80.0 or higher
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## Contributing
Issues and PRs welcome on [GitHub](https://github.com/carthick84/context-generator).
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## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](https://github.com/carthick84/context-generator/blob/HEAD/LICENSE)
