VS File Prompt Generator

The VS File Prompt Generator (version 0.1.3) is an extension designed to help developers create structured prompts for AI-driven coding assistance by leveraging their project’s context. It allows you to select specific files and folders from your workspace, gather their contents, and generate a comprehensive aiPrompt.json file. This JSON includes a hierarchical representation of your project's structure, the selected files and directories, their content, and any diagnostic errors detected by Visual Studio Code.

File Picker View

A dedicated "File Selector" view is added to the Explorer panel. This view displays your entire workspace structure as a collapsible tree. You can select/deselect individual files as well as entire directories. The entries are alphabetically sorted, making it easier to quickly find and select the files or folders you need.

Exported AI Prompt File

After selecting the desired files and/or directories, run the "Export Selected Files" command. This generates an aiPrompt.json in the workspace root, containing the structure, selected files, and diagnostic errors. The file is then automatically opened for review.

Features

• Hierarchical Selection:
  Browse your project's directories in a tree-like structure. Expand/collapse folders and toggle entire folders on or off at once.

• Alphabetical Sorting:
  Files and directories are listed in alphabetical order, making navigation more intuitive.

• Toggle File/Folder Selection:
  Toggle selection by clicking the inline button. Selected items are indicated with a checkmark and remembered across sessions.

• Export to aiPrompt.json:
  Generate a JSON file (aiPrompt.json) containing:

  • project-context: A placeholder for your project's goals, technologies, and constraints.
  • prompt: A placeholder for your specific AI request.
  • prompt-rules: Default or previously specified rules for the AI prompt.
  • structure: A fully hierarchical representation of your project's directory tree.
  • files: A dictionary of selected file paths and their contents.
  • errors: A list of diagnostic information (file, line, message) provided by VS Code's language services.

• Automatic .gitignore Update:
  Ensures aiPrompt.json is ignored by Git.

• Immediate Review:
  Once generated, aiPrompt.json opens automatically in the editor, ready for you to refine and finalize your AI prompt.

Example

{ "project-context": "", "prompt": "", "prompt-rules": [ "Always deliver the full scripts with your additions...", "Always use the provided files and data structure...", "Write your code with comments..." ], "structure": { "peopol": [ { "dist": [ "background.js", { "assets": [ "main-kQJbKSsj.css" ] } ] } ] }, "files": { "peopol/dist/background.js": "// file content here" }, "errors": [ { "file": "peopol/dist/background.js", "line": 10, "errorMessage": "Cannot find module 'x'" } ] }

Requirements

VS Code Version: Visual Studio Code v1.95.0 or later is recommended.

Workspace Folder: You must have a workspace folder open.

Diagnostics: Error reporting depends on the language servers, linters, or other diagnostic providers you have set up. If no diagnostics are available, the errors array may be empty.

Extension Settings

Currently, this extension does not add new user-facing settings. All functionality works out-of-the-box. Future versions may introduce customization options (e.g., ignoring certain directories, customizing output file name, etc.).

Known Issues

Diagnostics Dependence: If no language servers or linters are configured, the errors section may remain empty.

Web Extension Support: This extension currently works only in local environments, not in web-based instances of VS Code.

Change List

Version 0.1.8

Export Groups: Enables the user to create different groups for different file Exports - Groups can be renamed, exported and deleted Hide Files from File Selector: to make the groups more userfriendly and enable the user to take control of the structure output he can now hide files with an x button next to the file. Auto Update new Files: In previous Version you had to update the files manually now newly created files are automatically added to the tree-picker Some Bug Fixes gerading filling the structure and file attributes

Version 0.1.6

Introduced groups to save multiple export file sets Removed Warnings from the errors

Version 0.1.3

Introduced hierarchical folder structure in the file selector. Allowed toggling entire directories as well as individual files. Added alphabetical sorting of files and directories. Maintained existing prompt-rules when exporting aiPrompt.json if already present. Stability and reliability improvements.

Version 0.1.2

Introduced inline toggle buttons for easier selection. Export now retains previously defined prompt-rules in aiPrompt.json. Various bug fixes and performance improvements.

Version 1.0.0 (Initial Release)

Added "File Selector" view and toggle selection feature for files. Exporting selected files to aiPrompt.json with structure, files, and errors. Automatically opens aiPrompt.json after export and updates .gitignore.

(Note: The jump from version 1.0.0 to 0.x.x versions indicates a revision in versioning strategy.)