Julia ↔ MATLAB Converter VS Code Extension

🚀 Professional VS Code extension for seamless Julia ↔ MATLAB code conversion with live preview and right-click convenience.

✨ Features

🖱️ Right-Click Conversion

• Right-click any .jl file → "Convert to MATLAB"
• Right-click any .m file → "Convert to Julia"
• Works in both file explorer and editor

⚡ Command Palette Integration

• Julia↔MATLAB: Convert to MATLAB - Convert current Julia file
• Julia↔MATLAB: Convert to Julia - Convert current MATLAB file
• Julia↔MATLAB: Show Live Preview - Open live preview panel
• Julia↔MATLAB: Open Converter Panel - Open converter sidebar

👁️ Live Preview

• Real-time conversion preview as you type
• Side-by-side comparison
• Syntax highlighting for both languages
• Auto-updates when switching files

📋 Converter Panel

• Dedicated sidebar with conversion tools
• Quick convert buttons
• Batch conversion options
• Settings access

⚙️ Smart Features

• Auto-detection of file types
• Configurable output file naming
• Safe operations (never overwrites originals)
• Professional error handling

🛠️ Installation

Method 1: Development Installation

1. Clone or copy the extension folder:

   cd vscode-extension
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Compile TypeScript:

   npm run compile
   

4. Install in VS Code:

   • Open VS Code
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
   • Type "Extensions: Install from VSIX"
   • Navigate to the extension folder and select the generated .vsix file

Method 2: Development Mode

1. Open in VS Code:

   code vscode-extension
   

2. Run in Extension Development Host:

   • Press F5 to launch a new Extension Development Host window
   • The extension will be loaded automatically

🚀 Usage

Quick Conversion

1. Right-click method:

   • Open any .jl or .m file
   • Right-click in the editor or file explorer
   • Select "Convert to MATLAB" or "Convert to Julia"

2. Command palette method:

   • Open a Julia or MATLAB file
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+P
   • Type "Julia" and select your conversion command

Live Preview

1. Automatic preview:

   • Open any .jl or .m file
   • The live preview panel opens automatically
   • See real-time conversion as you edit

2. Manual preview:

   • Use command palette: "Julia↔MATLAB: Show Live Preview"
   • Or click the preview icon in the editor title bar

Converter Panel

1. Open the panel:

   • Click the Julia↔MATLAB icon in the activity bar
   • Or use command palette: "Julia↔MATLAB: Open Converter Panel"

2. Use quick actions:

   • Expand "Quick Convert" for single file conversion
   • Expand "Batch Convert" for multiple files
   • Click "Live Preview" for instant preview
   • Access "Settings" for configuration

⚙️ Configuration

Access settings via:

• Converter panel → Settings
• VS Code Settings → Extensions → Julia↔MATLAB Converter

Available Settings:

• juliaMatlab.autoPreview (default: true)

  • Automatically show preview when opening Julia/MATLAB files

• juliaMatlab.outputSuffix (default: "_converted")

  • Suffix added to converted file names

• juliaMatlab.enableSyntaxHighlighting (default: true)

  • Enable syntax highlighting in preview panels

🎯 Supported File Types

• Julia files: .jl
• MATLAB files: .m

🔧 Requirements

• VS Code 1.74.0 or higher
• Python 3.7+ (for conversion backend)
• Julia ↔ MATLAB Converter CLI (included)

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"No Python found"

• Ensure Python is installed and in PATH
• Update conversionService.ts with correct Python path

"CLI not found"

• Verify the CLI script path in conversionService.ts
• Ensure jm_cli.py is accessible

"Conversion failed"

• Check that the source file is valid Julia/MATLAB code
• Verify file permissions
• Check VS Code output panel for detailed errors

Debugging

1. Enable developer tools:

   • Help → Toggle Developer Tools
   • Check Console for errors

2. Check extension host:

   • View → Output → Extension Host

🎨 Customization

Custom Keybindings

Add to your keybindings.json:

[
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+j",
    "command": "juliaMatlab.convertToJulia",
    "when": "resourceExtname == .m"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+m", 
    "command": "juliaMatlab.convertToMatlab",
    "when": "resourceExtname == .jl"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+p",
    "command": "juliaMatlab.showPreview",
    "when": "resourceExtname == .jl || resourceExtname == .m"
  }
]

Custom Themes

The extension respects VS Code themes and uses appropriate colors for:

• Julia syntax (purple theme)
• MATLAB syntax (blue theme)
• Preview panels
• Status indicators

📈 Features Roadmap

• ✅ Right-click conversion
• ✅ Live preview
• ✅ Command palette integration
• ✅ Converter sidebar panel
• 🔄 Batch conversion UI
• 🔄 Syntax highlighting in preview
• 🔄 Diff view for conversions
• 🔄 Conversion history
• 🔄 Custom conversion templates

🤝 Contributing

This extension is part of the Julia2MATLAB project. Contributions welcome!

📄 License

MIT License - see project root for details.

🎯 Perfect for: Scientific computing, algorithm porting, code migration, and multi-language workflows!