MicroForge — MicroPython for VS Code

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A modern, high-performance VS Code extension for MicroPython and ESP32/ESP8266 development.
Direct on-device file editing · Zero-flicker interactive Shell · Device-side Tab completion · Dynamic Run/Stop · Resilient auto-reconnect.

✨ Key Features

• 📁 Direct Device File Management & 2-Way Real-Time Sync

  • Browse, create, open, edit, rename, and delete files/folders directly on the MicroPython device flash filesystem.
  • Shadow Cache Architecture: File edits save instantly to a local shadow cache and synchronize seamlessly with the device, eliminating editor lockups and latency.

• 💻 High-Performance Interactive Shell (REPL)

  • Differential, zero-flicker line editor powered by xterm.js.
  • Dynamic Theme Synchronization: Automatically adapts terminal colors to match VS Code light, dark, and high-contrast themes.
  • Multi-Line Editing & Smart Paste: Paste multi-line snippets, functions, classes, or loops (while True:) — automatically formatted, echoed, and executed cleanly on the device.
  • History Persistence: Command history is preserved across editor tab switches and window reloads (↑ / ↓ navigation).
  • Standard Keyboard Shortcuts:
    • Ctrl+C: Copies selected text when a selection exists; sends KeyboardInterrupt to halt running code when no selection exists.
    • Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Insert: Always copies selection.
    • Ctrl+V / Ctrl+Shift+V / Shift+Insert: Pastes text from the system clipboard.

• 🔍 Hardware-Level Real-Time Autocompletion

  • Press Tab in the interactive Shell to query live completion candidates (modules, built-in functions, methods, and attributes) directly from the running MicroPython hardware environment.

• 🚀 One-Click Execution & Dynamic Run/Stop Toggle

  • Run any focused device .py file with a single click from the editor title bar.
  • Dynamic State Toggle: The editor title bar button automatically morphs from 🚀 Run on Device into 🛑 Stop Execution whenever a blocking script or infinite loop is executing.
  • Real-Time Streaming Output: Output is streamed to the dedicated output channel at sub-millisecond latency.

• 🔌 Intelligent Serial Connection & Auto-Reconnect

  • Automatic serial port scanning with hardware identity memory (VID, PID, and manufacturer tracking).
  • Resilient background reconnection automatically restores the connection when the board is replugged or reset.

• 📦 Built-In MicroPython Type Stubs

  • Bundled with 150+ MicroPython API stubs (ESP32, ESP8266, machine, network, uasyncio, bluetooth, and more) for accurate IntelliSense and syntax diagnostics in your workspace.

🚀 Getting Started

1. Prerequisites

Ensure Python 3 is installed on your system, along with pyserial and esptool:

pip install pyserial esptool

Tip: If python is not available in your system PATH, configure microforge.pythonPath in VS Code Settings.

2. Usage Workflow

1. Initialize Project: Open your project folder in VS Code, open the MicroForge sidebar, and click "Init Project".
2. Connect Device: Click the Port status bar item at the bottom or execute MicroForge: Select Serial Port from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
3. Manage Files & Device Info: Expand the Device Filesystem and Device Information tree views in the sidebar to browse device files, RAM/Flash usage, and network status.
4. Run Code: Open any device .py file and click the 🚀 Run on Device button at the top-right corner of the editor.
5. Interactive Shell: Switch to the MicroForge Shell panel in the bottom dock for live REPL interaction, testing, and Tab completion.

⚙️ Extension Settings

⌨️ Commands & Shortcuts

🛠️ Development & Building

# 1. Install dependencies
pnpm install

# 2. Build production bundle and run test suite
pnpm run build
pnpm test

# 3. Package extension into VSIX
pnpm run package

📄 License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.