Commands Extension

One-click command runner for VS Code. Define commands in JSON or let the extension pick up your package.json scripts and .ps1 files automatically — then run anything from a sidebar or panel with a single click.

No more switching to the terminal and typing the same commands over and over.

Quick Start

code --install-extension PavelKhabusov.commands-extension

1. Open a workspace in VS Code
2. Create commands-list.json in the root (or just have a package.json with scripts)
3. Click the Commands icon in the Activity Bar — done

Features

Sidebar & Panel

Access your commands from the Activity Bar sidebar or open a dedicated panel via Ctrl+Shift+P > Commands: Open Panel.

Search & Filter

Filter commands instantly by typing in the search bar. Matches command names, command text, and group names. Groups auto-expand during search and restore their collapsed state when cleared.

Context Menu

Right-click any command to access:

Run Confirmation

Enable confirmation for critical commands via the context menu. Protected commands show a lock icon indicator and require a modal confirmation dialog before running.

Collapsible Groups

Organize commands into named groups. Collapse/expand individual groups or all at once. Group state is preserved across sessions. Command count badge appears on hover.

Favorites

Star any command to pin it to the Favorites group at the top. Use the star button or right-click > "Add to favorites". Favorites persist across sessions.

Multiple Shell Types

Add Commands from UI

Click + in the toolbar to add new commands without touching JSON. Pick an existing group or create a new one on the fly.

Terminal Management

• Re-running a command reuses its existing terminal
• Active terminals show a green indicator dot and a close button
• Stop terminals via the close button, context menu, or the Clear Terminals toolbar button

Auto-Detection

Server Uploads

Define per-project FTP / FTPS / SFTP upload targets in server-uploads.local.json and run them with one click — no FileZilla CLI required, works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

• Live progress — percentage, current file, transfer speed, files done / total
• Cancel mid-flight — stop button on running uploads
• Files, folders, globs — single files, recursive folder uploads, or glob patterns
• Per-upload exclude — skip files inside an uploaded folder (e.g. **/node_modules/**)
• Shared servers — define a server once, reference it from many uploads
• Interactive picker — folder-with-plus button opens a native file/folder dialog and appends selections to the config
• .local.json by default — the default filename is excluded by common gitignore patterns so credentials stay out of git

{
  "servers": [
    {
      "name": "main",
      "protocol": "ftp",
      "host": "example.com",
      "port": 21,
      "user": "username",
      "password": "your-password"
    }
  ],
  "uploads": [
    {
      "name": "Theme → prod",
      "server": "main",
      "remoteDir": "/public_html/wp-content/themes/mytheme/",
      "items": ["./wp-content/themes/mytheme/"],
      "exclude": ["**/node_modules/**", "**/*.log"],
      "onExists": "overwrite"
    },
    {
      "name": "Single file → prod",
      "server": "main",
      "remoteDir": "/public_html/",
      "items": ["./bundle/app.js"]
    }
  ]
}

servers entry

uploads entry

Right-click an upload for context menu actions: edit config, add files.

Passwords are stored in plain text inside server-uploads.local.json. The default filename is .local.json so most gitignore presets exclude it. If you use a different filename, add it to .gitignore yourself.

Proxy / VPN note: uploads use raw TCP sockets; HTTP proxy settings (system or VS Code) are not applied. System-level VPN tunnels are honored transparently by the OS — bypassing them requires VPN-level split tunneling.

Marketplace Templates

The built-in Recommended section offers ready-made command sets:

Click + on a template to add the whole set, or expand it and add individual commands.

Theme-Aware

Uses VS Code CSS variables — looks native in any theme (light, dark, high contrast).

commands-list.json Format

{
  "commands": [
    {
      "name": "Build Project",
      "command": "npm run build",
      "type": "terminal",
      "group": "Build"
    },
    {
      "name": "Start Server",
      "command": "server.js",
      "type": "node",
      "group": "Dev"
    },
    {
      "name": "Deploy",
      "command": "./scripts/deploy.ps1",
      "type": "pwsh",
      "group": "Deploy"
    }
  ]
}

Fields

package.json Scripts

Scripts from your package.json are auto-imported under the npm scripts group:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc -p ./",
    "test": "jest",
    "start": "node server.js"
  }
}

These appear as npm run build, npm run test, npm run start.

Configuration

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a full list of changes per version.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.85.0+

License

MIT