MiniProgram Tools

Native VS Code sidebar for MiniProgram CLI workflows.

This extension is a thin UI over the installed miniprogram CLI. It does not reimplement create, build, validate, publish, preview, AWS, access-key, partner package, host endpoint, or backend logic.

Marketplace install

Requires mini_program_tooling 0.3.16 or newer for endpoint/registry sync, public demo generation, public/static endpoint support, and miniprogram workflow status --json.

Install or upgrade the CLI first:

dart pub global activate mini_program_tooling

Then install the extension from VS Code Marketplace:

Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=MiniProgramTools.mini-program-tools

code --install-extension MiniProgramTools.mini-program-tools

You can also install it from the VS Code Extensions view by searching for MiniProgram Tools.

Local VSIX install

Use this only when testing an unreleased extension build locally.

cd packages/mini_program_vscode
npm install
npm run compile
npm run package:vsix
code --install-extension mini-program-tools-0.1.15.vsix

Features

Activity Bar view named MiniProgram.
Local workflow status from miniprogram workflow status --json.
Manual remote status from miniprogram workflow status --remote --json.
Core workflow commands:
- MiniProgram: Create MiniProgram
- MiniProgram: Build
- MiniProgram: Validate
- MiniProgram: Preview
- MiniProgram: Publish
- MiniProgram: Publish Public Static MiniProgram
- MiniProgram: Embed Init
- MiniProgram: Configure Host Cloud
- MiniProgram: Import Host Endpoint
- MiniProgram: Add Host Endpoint
- MiniProgram: Run Host App
- MiniProgram: Env Init
- MiniProgram: Configure AWS Environment
- MiniProgram: Use Environment
- MiniProgram: Environment Status
- MiniProgram: Cloud Deploy
- MiniProgram: Cloud Status
- MiniProgram: Cloud Outputs
- MiniProgram: Backend Init
- MiniProgram: Backend Start
- MiniProgram: Backend Stop
- MiniProgram: Backend Status
- MiniProgram: Create Access Key
- MiniProgram: List Access Keys
- MiniProgram: Revoke Access Key
- MiniProgram: Rotate Access Key
- MiniProgram: Create Partner Package
- MiniProgram: Validate Partner Package
- MiniProgram: Open Partner Package
- MiniProgram: Diagnose Workspace
- MiniProgram: Diagnose MiniProgram
- MiniProgram: Diagnose Host App
- MiniProgram: Diagnose Cloud Delivery
- MiniProgram: Setup New MiniProgram
- MiniProgram: Publish MiniProgram to AWS
- MiniProgram: Prepare Partner Handoff
- MiniProgram: Setup Host App
- MiniProgram: Add MiniProgram to Host
- MiniProgram: Run Host Smoke Test
- MiniProgram: Generate Host Registry
- MiniProgram: Add MiniProgram to Registry
- MiniProgram: Copy Demo Host Button
- MiniProgram: Copy Workflow Commands
- MiniProgram: Check Host Endpoint Remote
- MiniProgram: Copy Cleanup Commands
- MiniProgram: Refresh Status
- MiniProgram: Refresh Remote Status

MiniProgram: Publish supports cloud, local, and public/static export targets. MiniProgram: Publish Public Static MiniProgram opens the static export flow directly and can pass --clean to remove generated static output before writing the new version. The static target writes a folder that can be uploaded to GitHub Pages or a CDN and then used from a public endpoint.

MiniProgram: Embed Init can also generate a public first-run demo endpoint. Choose Add public demo endpoint when prompted to create:

lib/mini_program/mini_program_endpoints.dart
lib/mini_program/mini_program_registry.dart
README snippets using MiniPrograms.publicDemo

The demo uses this public jsDelivr endpoint:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/mehedi8603651/miniprogram-public@main/

Settings

miniProgram.cliPath: command or path for the installed CLI. Defaults to miniprogram.
miniProgram.defaultPreviewDevice: default preview device. Defaults to emulator-5554.
miniProgram.status.autoRefresh: refresh local status on activation and workspace changes. Defaults to true.

Remote status checks are never automatic. Use MiniProgram: Refresh Remote Status when you want cloud/backend checks.

Environment and backend workflow

Use MiniProgram: Env Init in a mini-program or host workspace before configuring cloud delivery. MiniProgram: Configure AWS Environment prompts for the environment name, S3 bucket, region, optional AWS profile, stack/stage names, and access-key enforcement. MiniProgram: Cloud Deploy deploys the AWS backend, and MiniProgram: Cloud Outputs prints the backend API URL or a Flutter --dart-define snippet.

Local backend commands are also available for development: initialize the backend workspace, start/stop the local backend, and inspect backend status without leaving VS Code.

Partner handoff workflow

Mini-program publishers can create protected or public host handoff files from VS Code:

Run MiniProgram: Create Access Key and copy the generated key.
Run MiniProgram: Create Partner Package.
Choose protected delivery with an access key, or public/static delivery with no access key.
Enter the appId, title, and either a configured env or direct API base URL.
Send the generated .partner.json file to the host app developer.

The host developer then runs MiniProgram: Import Host Endpoint and selects the partner package. Protected partner packages contain an access key, so treat them as secret files and do not commit them. Public partner packages have accessMode: "public" and do not contain an access key.

MiniProgram: Add Host Endpoint also supports both modes. Use protected mode for AWS/GCP/backend delivery that requires a MiniProgram access key. Use public/static mode for GitHub Pages, CDN, S3 public hosting, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel static hosting, or other public content. Public mode has no delivery access control. Manual endpoint add asks for a display title and the CLI writes both mini_program_endpoints.dart and mini_program_registry.dart, so host UI code can use MiniPrograms.<name>.appId and MiniPrograms.<name>.title.

Host diagnostics check public endpoints by loading:

manifests/<appId>/latest.json
screens/<appId>/<version>/<entry>.json

They also verify public endpoint metadata does not require a MiniProgram access key. These checks run only when you manually run diagnostics.

Host registry and demo buttons

Host apps with many mini-programs can generate lib/mini_program/mini_program_registry.dart from the endpoint map:

MiniProgram: Generate Host Registry creates or refreshes registry entries for configured endpoint appIds.
MiniProgram: Add MiniProgram to Registry adds one typed entry with appId and title kept together.
MiniProgram: Copy Demo Host Button copies a button snippet that calls openAppMiniProgram(...) and includes the imports to add.

The registry keeps button code, menus, analytics, and tests from repeating raw strings:

openAppMiniProgram(
  context,
  appId: MiniPrograms.profile.appId,
  title: MiniPrograms.profile.title,
);

Diagnostics also warn when mini_program_endpoints.dart contains an endpoint but no likely host UI launcher opens that appId, or when endpoint appIds and registry appIds no longer match. The extension does not edit main.dart; paste copied snippets into your host-owned UI so Provider, Riverpod, GetX, GoRouter, and custom app structures stay under your control.

Use MiniProgram: Check Host Endpoint Remote from a host app to pick one configured endpoint appId and inspect cloud health, published app metadata, and active access-key status. This is useful because normal host workspace status does not assume which appId you want to inspect remotely.

Diagnostics

Use MiniProgram: Diagnose Workspace for local checks that are safe to run often. It combines workflow status, miniprogram doctor --json, and lightweight project file checks. Use the focused commands when debugging a specific area:

MiniProgram: Diagnose MiniProgram
MiniProgram: Diagnose Host App
MiniProgram: Diagnose Cloud Delivery

Cloud delivery diagnostics are manual and may call remote AWS/backend status. Diagnostic output includes fix suggestions and redacts MiniProgram access keys.

Guided workflows

Guided workflows run the common commands in the right order and stop when a step fails:

MiniProgram: Setup New MiniProgram: create, build, and validate a new mini-program.
MiniProgram: Publish MiniProgram to AWS: build, validate, publish, and run cloud diagnostics.
MiniProgram: Prepare Partner Handoff: build, validate, publish, create an access key, create a .partner.json, and validate it.
MiniProgram: Setup Host App: run embed init, optionally configure cloud, and diagnose the host.
MiniProgram: Add MiniProgram to Host: import a partner package or add an endpoint manually, then diagnose the host.
MiniProgram: Run Host Smoke Test: diagnose the host and start a host run terminal.

Secret handling

The sidebar renders only the redacted workflow status fields. It does not show raw MiniProgram access-key values from endpoint maps or partner packages. Commands that accept secret command-line inputs redact those values in the MiniProgram output channel. Create/rotate access-key commands still show the newly generated key returned by the CLI so you can copy it into a partner package or host endpoint. Endpoint setup prompts stay open when you switch windows, so you can copy API URLs or access keys and paste them without restarting the command.

MiniProgram access keys protect mini-program delivery access only. They are revocable partner/app credentials, not user-auth tokens or server secrets. Use JWT/OAuth/session tokens through host-owned callSecureApi logic for protected user APIs.

Troubleshooting notes

Flutter may print an advisory warning like Failed to decode advisories for shared_preferences_android when using a pub mirror. If the command also says Got dependencies!, dependency resolution completed and the warning is mirror metadata noise.

On Windows, release APK builds can print Kotlin daemon cache warnings after a successful Built build\app\outputs\flutter-apk\app-release.apk line. If the APK exists, the build succeeded. If the warning keeps returning, run:

flutter clean
flutter pub get
cd android
.\gradlew --stop
cd ..
flutter build apk --release