SelectionsSaver

A Visual Studio Code extension that provides enhanced bookmark functionality by recording and restoring:

• Text selections in code files
• Line locations and cursor positions
• Vertical scrollbar positions
• File context for navigation

NEW: Bookmarks are now workspace-specific! Each workspace maintains its own set of bookmarks, providing better organization and preventing bookmark clutter when working on multiple projects.

Features

Save Selection Bookmarks

• Command: SelectionsSaver: Save Selection Bookmark
• Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Shift+S (Mac)
• Captures your current text selection, cursor position, and scroll location
• Allows you to provide an optional name for the bookmark
• Works across all code file types

Restore Selection Bookmarks

• Command: SelectionsSaver: Restore Selection Bookmark
• Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
• Shows a quick pick list of all saved bookmarks
• Navigates to the saved file, restores the exact selection, and scroll position

Bookmark Management

• Clear All Bookmarks: Remove all saved bookmarks (with confirmation)

Swap Slot Feature

• Save Selection to Swap Slot: Ctrl+Shift+1 (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Shift+1 (Mac)

  • Saves your current selection to a temporary swap slot
  • The saved selection is highlighted with a customizable color (default: semi-transparent yellow)
  • The highlight remains visible until you swap or save a new selection

• Swap With Swap Slot: Ctrl+Shift+2 (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Shift+2 (Mac)

  • Exchanges your current selection with the swap slot selection
  • Navigates to the swap slot location and selects that text
  • Updates the swap slot to contain your previous selection
  • The new swap slot location is highlighted

• Visual Highlighting: The swap slot selection is highlighted with a customizable background color to make it easy to see where your saved selection is located. You can customize this color in settings.

How to Use

1. Save a Bookmark:

   • Select some text or position your cursor where you want to bookmark
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+S or use Command Palette → "SelectionsSaver: Save Selection Bookmark"
   • Optionally enter a name for the bookmark (duplicate names are allowed)

2. Restore or Delete a Bookmark:

   • Press Ctrl+Shift+R or use Command Palette → "SelectionsSaver: Restore Selection Bookmark"
   • Select from the list of saved bookmarks to restore
   • To delete a bookmark, click the trash icon next to it in the list
   • The extension will open the file and restore your exact selection and scroll position

3. Manage Bookmarks:

   • Use Command Palette → "Clear All Bookmarks" to remove all bookmarks

4. Use Swap Slot for Quick Navigation:

   • Select text you want to save temporarily and press Ctrl+Shift+1
   • The selection will be highlighted with a visible color
   • Navigate elsewhere in your code
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+2 to swap to the saved location
   • Your current selection becomes the new swap slot (also highlighted)

Commands

Configuration

Swap Slot Highlight Color

You can customize the background color used to highlight the swap slot selection:

1. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,)
2. Search for "selectionssaver"
3. Modify SelectionsSaver: Swap Slot Highlight Color
   • Default: rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.3) (semi-transparent yellow)
   • Use any valid CSS color format:
     • RGB with alpha: rgba(255, 200, 0, 0.3)
     • Hex: #ffcc0080
     • Named colors: yellow, lightblue, etc.
   • Adjust the alpha channel (last number) to control transparency
   • Choose colors that contrast well with your theme while keeping text readable

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.100.3 or higher

Data Storage

Bookmarks are stored using VS Code's global state, meaning they persist across:

• VS Code restarts
• Workspace changes
• Extension updates

Each bookmark contains:

• Unique identifier
• Optional user-provided name
• File path
• Selection start/end positions
• Scroll position
• Timestamp
• Workspace folder (if applicable)

Workspace-Specific Bookmarks

Important: Bookmarks are now scoped to individual workspaces for better organization:

• Each workspace maintains its own separate set of bookmarks
• Bookmarks are only visible when their corresponding workspace is open
• No workspace required error: You must have a workspace/folder open to save or restore bookmarks
• When switching between workspaces, you'll only see bookmarks relevant to the current workspace
• This prevents bookmark clutter and improves organization when working on multiple projects

Known Issues

• Bookmarks reference static line and character positions. If lines are added or removed in a file after a bookmark is created, the bookmark may point to an incorrect or outdated location.

Workarounds:

• After major edits, re-save your bookmarks to ensure they point to the correct location.
• Place a unique comment or marker (e.g., // BOOKMARK: MyFeature) at the desired location. After editing, search for this marker and re-create the bookmark if needed.
• Avoid large-scale edits above bookmarked lines if you want to preserve bookmark accuracy.
• If a bookmark points to the wrong line after edits, use the extension to jump close to the old location, then manually adjust and re-save the bookmark.

Note: It is technically possible to listen for file changes and attempt to update bookmarks automatically using the VS Code API (e.g., onDidChangeTextDocument). However, handling all possible text edits and keeping bookmarks accurate is complex and may impact performance. This feature may be considered for a future release if there is enough user interest.

Release Notes

1.2.1

• Fixed: Bookmarks are no longer saved if you cancel the name input box (e.g., by pressing Esc or clicking away). The extension will only save a bookmark if you confirm the input box.

1.2.0

• Added ability to delete individual bookmarks directly from the restore picker (trash icon)
• Removed non-functional 'List Bookmarks' command and related UI/documentation
• Cleaned up documentation and improved user guidance for known issues and workarounds

1.1.0

• Added bookmark management commands: list, delete, and clear all bookmarks
• Implemented import/export of bookmark collections
• Improved error handling for missing or changed files
• Enhanced UI feedback and user prompts

1.0.1

• Fixed minor bugs in bookmark persistence and restoration
• Improved compatibility with recent VS Code versions

1.0.0

• Initial release of SelectionsSaver
• Save and restore text selections, cursor positions, and scroll locations
• Bookmarks persist across VS Code sessions
• Quick pick UI for restoring bookmarks
• Optional bookmark naming and workspace folder association

Repository

The source code for SelectionsSaver is available on GitHub: https://github.com/Mark-Phillipson/selectionssaver