Java Launcher for VS Code
A powerful yet intuitive extension to discover, run, manage, and debug your Java applications, inspired by the seamless run/debug experience in JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA.
Say goodbye to manually editing launch.json files. Java Launcher automatically detects all your runnable entry points—main methods, Spring Boot applications, and tests—and displays them in a dedicated tree view in the activity bar. Run an entire microservices stack with a single click.
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Glanace
For more displays, please check Java Launcher
Why Java Launcher?
In a typical VS Code setup, running and debugging Java applications, especially in a multi-module microservices project, often requires cumbersome manual configuration of launch.json. This process can be slow and error-prone.
Java Launcher is built to solve this problem. Inspired by the fluid workflow of IntelliJ IDEA, it brings a "zero-configuration" experience to VS Code, allowing you to focus on coding, not configuration.
Key Features
- 💡 Zero-Configuration Run/Debug: Automatically discovers all runnable entry points (
main methods, @SpringBootApplication, JUnit & TestNG tests) across your workspace.
- 🌳 Explorer Tree View: Displays all discovered applications and test classes in a dedicated, easy-to-navigate tree view, grouped by project module.
- 🚀 One-Click Actions: Run, debug, or stop any application directly from the tree view.
- ⚙️ Aggregated Launch Configurations: Group multiple applications into a single configuration. Start your entire microservices stack sequentially with custom delays—all with one click.
- ⚡ Quick Search & Run: Use a powerful command palette (like
Ctrl+P) to instantly find and run any entry point or aggregated configuration.
- 🍃 Enhanced Spring Boot Support:
- Automatically identifies Spring Boot applications.
- Easily set and switch Spring active profiles for a single app or all apps at once.
- 🏃♂️ Process Management: View, stop, or restart any Java process launched by the extension in a dedicated management interface.
- 🌐 Internationalization: Supports both English and Chinese.
Getting Started
- Install the Java Launcher extension from the VS Code Marketplace.
- Open a Java project (Maven is fully supported, Gradle is experimental).
- Click the new Java Launcher icon in the Activity Bar.
- The extension will automatically scan your project and display all discovered entry points.
- Click the "Run" or "Debug" icon next to any entry point to launch it!
Usage
Running an Application
Simply find your application in the Java Launcher view and click the ▶️ (Run) or 🐞 (Debug) icon next to it.
Aggregated Launch
The aggregated launch feature is perfect for starting a complete microservices environment.
- Create an Aggregated Configuration:
- Right-click on an entry point in the tree view and select "Add to Aggregated Config".
- Or, run the
Java Launcher: Create Aggregated Launch Configuration command.
- Manage Your Configuration:
- Add multiple applications.
- Set custom startup delays (in milliseconds) for each application to manage dependencies (e.g., wait for a config server to start).
- Enable or disable applications within the configuration.
- Run It:
- Find your aggregated configuration in the tree view and click the ▶️ (Run) icon.
Quick Search
- Open the command palette (⇧⌘P or Ctrl+Shift+P).
- Run the command
Java Launcher: Search and Run Java Entry Point.
- Start typing to filter applications and configurations, then press
Enter to run.
Available Commands
Open the command palette (⇧⌘P or Ctrl+Shift+P) and type Java Launcher: to see all available commands:
Java Launcher: Generate Launch ConfigurationsJava Launcher: Manage Running Java ProcessesJava Launcher: Scan Java Entry PointsJava Launcher: Create Aggregated Launch ConfigurationJava Launcher: Manage Aggregated Launch ConfigurationsJava Launcher: Execute Aggregated Launch ConfigurationJava Launcher: Set Spring Active ProfileJava Launcher: Set All Spring Boot ProfilesJava Launcher: Refresh View
Known Issues
- Gradle Support: Support for Gradle projects is currently experimental. It can only recognize simple projects that follow standard directory structures (e.g.,
src/main/java) and does not yet resolve dependencies. We are actively working on it and plan to provide full, official support in a future release. In the meantime, we recommend using Maven projects for the best experience.
Contributing
Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome! Feel free to check the issues page.
License
This extension is licensed under the MIT License.
