SFTP Deploy

A VS Code extension that deploys your workspace files to a remote server via SFTP/SSH, with custom path mappings, multi-script pre/post deploy hooks, multi-target deployments, and SCM-aware changed-file tracking.

Features

SFTP Upload — upload individual files, entire folders, or the whole workspace to a remote server
Upload on Save — optionally auto-upload files whenever they are saved
Custom Path Mappings — override the remote target path for any local directory
Pre / Post Deploy Scripts — define multiple scripts (local or remote) to run before and after each deployment; each script can be individually enabled/disabled and run independently from the Scripts sidebar
Multi-Target Deploy — define up to 8 remote hosts to deploy to simultaneously; each target inherits root settings as defaults and can add its own additional scripts on top of the global ones
Per-Target Quick Pick — right-click any file or use the Changed Files toolbar to pick "All Targets" or any single target for that deploy only
Changed Files Panel — view files modified since the last SCM commit (Git or SVN) in a hierarchical or flat list, check/uncheck individual files, and deploy only selected ones
Flat / Tree View Toggle — switch the Changed Files panel between a folder hierarchy and a flat file list in one click
Diff View — click any changed file to open a side-by-side diff against the committed version
Deploy Status Panel — persistent WebView log that accumulates history across multiple deploy runs; open it at any time, even mid-deploy, and see the full history
Config Editor Panel — form-based UI for creating and editing .vscode/deploy.json
Sidebar — dedicated activity bar panel with Deployment Status, Scripts, and Changed Files views
JSON Schema Validation — .vscode/deploy.json is validated with IntelliSense auto-complete support

Getting Started

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / ⌘+Shift+P)
Run Deploy: Open / Create Configuration to open the Config Editor or generate a template .vscode/deploy.json
Fill in your server details, path mappings, and scripts
Run Deploy: Deploy Workspace, or use the Deploy ▶ submenu from any file's right-click menu

Configuration

The extension reads .vscode/deploy.json in your workspace root. The path is configurable via vscode-deploy.configPath in VS Code settings.

Single-target example

{
  "host": "192.168.1.100",
  "port": 22,
  "username": "deploy",
  "privateKeyPath": "~/.ssh/id_rsa",
  "remotePath": "/var/www/html",
  "localPath": "${workspaceFolder}/dist",
  "uploadOnSave": false,
  "ignore": ["node_modules/**", ".git/**", "*.log"],
  "mappings": [
    {
      "localPath": "src/assets",
      "remotePath": "/var/www/static",
      "description": "Static assets served from a different root"
    }
  ],
  "preDeployScripts": [
    {
      "name": "Build",
      "script": "npm run build",
      "enabled": true,
      "runLocal": true
    }
  ],
  "postDeployScripts": [
    {
      "name": "Restart app",
      "script": "pm2 restart app",
      "enabled": true,
      "runLocal": false
    }
  ],
  "runScriptsOnFileDeploy": true,
  "scmProvider": "git",
  "connectTimeout": 10000
}

Multi-target example

When targets are defined, the root-level connection fields act as defaults — each target overrides only what differs. Path mappings and global scripts are always inherited.

{
  "host": "staging.example.com",
  "port": 22,
  "username": "deploy",
  "privateKeyPath": "~/.ssh/id_rsa",
  "remotePath": "/var/www/html",
  "preDeployScripts": [
    { "name": "Build", "script": "npm run build", "enabled": true, "runLocal": true }
  ],
  "postDeployScripts": [
    { "name": "Restart", "script": "pm2 restart app", "enabled": true, "runLocal": false }
  ],
  "targets": [
    {
      "name": "Staging",
      "enabled": true,
      "host": "staging.example.com",
      "username": "deploy",
      "remotePath": "/var/www/html"
    },
    {
      "name": "Production",
      "enabled": true,
      "host": "prod.example.com",
      "username": "deploy",
      "remotePath": "/var/www/html",
      "preDeployScripts": [
        { "name": "Notify team", "script": "curl -s https://hooks.example.com/deploy-start", "enabled": true, "runLocal": true }
      ],
      "postDeployScripts": [
        { "name": "Purge CDN", "script": "curl -s https://cdn.example.com/purge", "enabled": true, "runLocal": true }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "scmProvider": "git",
  "connectTimeout": 10000
}

Note: When targets are defined, deploying runs against all enabled targets in sequence. Additional scripts defined on a target are appended after the global scripts — both always run.

Properties

Root / defaults

Property	Type	Default	Description
`host`	string	required	Server hostname or IP address
`port`	number	`22`	SSH/SFTP port
`username`	string	required	SSH username
`password`	string	—	SSH password (omit when using `privateKeyPath`)
`privateKeyPath`	string	—	Absolute path to a private key file (`~` supported)
`passphrase`	string	—	Passphrase for an encrypted private key
`remotePath`	string	required	Default remote base path for uploads
`localPath`	string	workspace root	Local base path to upload from; supports `${workspaceFolder}`
`uploadOnSave`	boolean	`false`	Auto-upload a file whenever it is saved
`ignore`	string[]	`["node_modules/", ".git/"]`	Glob patterns to exclude from workspace uploads
`mappings`	array	`[]`	Custom local→remote path overrides (see below)
`preDeployScripts`	array	`[]`	Scripts to run before deploying (see Scripts)
`postDeployScripts`	array	`[]`	Scripts to run after deploying (see Scripts)
`runScriptsOnFileDeploy`	boolean	`true`	Whether pre/post scripts also run for single-file deploys and upload-on-save
`scmProvider`	`"none"` \| `"git"` \| `"svn"`	`"none"`	SCM provider for the Changed Files panel
`gitPath`	string	—	Path to the `git` executable; leave empty to use the system PATH
`svnPath`	string	—	Path to the `svn` executable; leave empty to use the system PATH
`connectTimeout`	number	`10000`	Connection timeout in milliseconds
`targets`	array	`[]`	Optional list of up to 8 remote targets (see Multi-Target)

Path Mappings

Each entry in mappings overrides the upload destination for a local directory. The most-specific (longest) matching localPath wins when multiple entries overlap.

"mappings": [
  {
    "localPath": "src/assets",
    "remotePath": "/var/www/static",
    "description": "CDN root"
  }
]

Scripts

preDeployScripts and postDeployScripts each accept an array of script objects:

Field	Type	Description
`name`	string	Optional label shown in the Scripts sidebar
`script`	string	Shell script content — may be multi-line
`enabled`	boolean	Uncheck to skip this script without removing it
`runLocal`	boolean	`true` = run on the local machine; `false` = run on the remote server via SSH

Scripts execute in array order. If any enabled script exits with a non-zero code the deployment is aborted.

Multi-Target Deployments

Define up to 8 remote hosts in the targets array. When at least one target is enabled:

Deploying (workspace, file, or changed files) runs against all enabled targets in sequence
Failed targets are reported individually; other targets still complete
The Deploy Status Panel separates each target's output with a header

Target properties

Each target inherits all root-level fields as defaults. Only specify what differs:

Property	Type	Description
`name`	string	Display name shown in the sidebar and status output
`enabled`	boolean	Set to `false` to temporarily disable a target without removing it
`host`	string	required — remote hostname or IP
`port`	number	Overrides the root `port`
`username`	string	required — SSH username
`password`	string	Overrides root auth; omit to inherit
`privateKeyPath`	string	Overrides root key path; omit to inherit
`passphrase`	string	Overrides root passphrase; omit to inherit
`remotePath`	string	required — remote base path for this target
`connectTimeout`	number	Overrides root `connectTimeout`
`preDeployScripts`	array	Additional scripts appended after the global pre-deploy scripts
`postDeployScripts`	array	Additional scripts appended after the global post-deploy scripts

Script inheritance

Target configuration	What runs
No `preDeployScripts` / `postDeployScripts`	Global scripts only
`preDeployScripts` defined	Global scripts first, then target's additional scripts

Commands

Command	Description
Deploy: Deploy Workspace	Upload all files (respecting ignore list and mappings) with pre/post scripts
Deploy: Deploy Current File	Upload only the active file
Deploy: Deploy (Skip Scripts)	Upload a file or folder without running any scripts
Deploy: Deploy to Target…	Choose a specific target or "All Targets" via Quick Pick, then deploy the selected file/folder
Deploy: Deploy Checked Files	Upload the files checked in the Changed Files panel to all targets
Deploy: Deploy Checked Files to Target…	Choose a specific target or "All Targets" for the checked files deployment
Deploy: Open / Create Configuration	Open the Config Editor WebView
Deploy: Show Output	Show the Deploy output channel
Deploy: Show Status Panel	Open the Deploy Status WebView (also accessible from the status bar)
Deploy: Refresh Status	Refresh the Deployment Status sidebar tree
Deploy: Refresh Changed Files	Re-query SCM for changed files
Deploy: Check All Changed Files	Check all items in the Changed Files panel
Deploy: Uncheck All Changed Files	Uncheck all items in the Changed Files panel

Deploy to Target… and Deploy Checked Files to Target… only appear when multiple targets are configured.

Open the Deploy sidebar from the activity bar.

Deployment Status

Shows the current state of the last deploy operation (idle / running / success / failed) with transferred/skipped/failed file counts.

Scripts

Lists configured scripts with their run status. Each script has an inline ▶ button to run it independently without triggering a full deployment.

Single target (no targets defined): flat list of all global pre and post scripts.

Multiple targets: scripts are grouped under collapsible sections, one per target. Each section shows the effective script list for that target (global scripts + the target's additional scripts combined). Clicking ▶ on a script under a target section runs it against that target's server.

Status icons update in real time:

⏳ spinning — currently running
✔ green — last run succeeded
✗ red — last run failed
○ — idle / disabled

Changed Files

Queries Git or SVN for files modified since the last commit. Check or uncheck individual files, then click Deploy Checked Files in the toolbar to upload only the selected ones.

Checkbox state is persisted across VS Code restarts
Click any file to open a side-by-side diff against the committed (HEAD) version
Tree / Flat toggle — switch between a folder hierarchy and a flat list; in flat mode each file shows its directory as a description alongside the filename

Toolbar buttons (left to right):

Button	Description
`$(cloud-upload)`	Deploy all checked files to all targets
`$(server)`	Deploy checked files to a specific target (only when multiple targets configured)
`$(refresh)`	Re-query SCM for changed files
`$(check-all)`	Check all files
`$(circle-slash)`	Uncheck all files
`$(list-flat)` / `$(list-tree)`	Toggle between flat list and folder tree

A Deploy ▶ submenu appears in both the Explorer and the editor right-click context menus:

Deploy: Deploy Current File — upload the selected file with pre/post scripts
Deploy: Deploy (Skip Scripts) — upload the selected file or folder, skipping all scripts
Deploy: Deploy to Target… — pick a specific target or "All Targets" via Quick Pick (only shown when multiple targets are configured)

Deploy Status Panel

The status panel is a WebView that shows a live log of each deployment run.

Not opened automatically — open it by clicking the status bar item ($(cloud-upload) Deploy) or running Deploy: Show Status Panel
Persistent history — logs accumulate across multiple deploy runs, separated by horizontal rules, until you explicitly clear them
Open at any time — opening the panel mid-deploy (or after) replays the full log immediately; no output is lost
Clear Logs button — manually clears all history and resets the status badge to Idle

Packaging and Internal Distribution

To package the extension as a .vsix for internal use:

npm run compile
vsce package

Install on any machine:

code --install-extension vscode-deploy-0.2.0.vsix

Or via the Extensions sidebar: ⋯ → Install from VSIX…

To uninstall the old version first:

code --uninstall-extension ShileiMao.vscode-deploy

Development

npm install       # install dependencies
npm run compile   # compile TypeScript → out/
npm run watch     # compile in watch mode
npm test          # run unit tests
npm run lint      # lint source files

SFTP Deploy

ShileiMao

SFTP Deploy

Features

Getting Started

Configuration

Single-target example

Multi-target example

Properties

Root / defaults

Path Mappings

Scripts

Multi-Target Deployments

Target properties

Script inheritance

Commands

Sidebar Views

Deployment Status

Scripts

Changed Files

Right-Click Deploy Menu

Deploy Status Panel

Packaging and Internal Distribution

Development