Open With Context Menu

A VS Code extension that adds context menu items to open files with external applications. Configure multiple apps and associate them with specific file types.

Features

Add multiple external applications to the context menu
Associate apps with specific file types (extensions or filenames)
Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Support for both app names and full executable paths
Automatic app selection when only one matches, or quick pick menu for multiple matches
Configuration via VS Code settings (UI or JSON)

Installation

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "Open With Context Menu"
Click Install

Or install from the command line:

code --install-extension Tarik.open-with-context-menu

Configuration

Configure apps and file type associations in VS Code settings:

Open Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
Search for "Open With Context Menu"
Click "Edit in settings.json" to configure apps

Configuration Format

{
  "openWithContextMenu.apps": [
    {
      "name": "Typora",
      "appName": "Typora",
      "appPath": "",
      "fileTypes": [".md", ".markdown", ".cursorrules"]
    },
    {
      "name": "Sublime Text",
      "appName": "",
      "appPath": "/Applications/Sublime Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl",
      "fileTypes": [".js", ".ts", ".json"]
    }
  ]
}

Configuration Properties

name (required): Display name shown in the context menu
appName (optional): Application name
- macOS: App bundle name (e.g., "Typora", "Sublime Text")
- Windows: Executable name without extension (e.g., "notepad", "code")
- Linux: Executable name (e.g., "gedit", "code")
appPath (optional): Full path to the application executable
- Takes precedence over appName if provided
- macOS: Path to .app bundle or executable (e.g., "/Applications/Typora.app")
- Windows: Path to .exe file (e.g., "C:\Program Files\App\app.exe")
- Linux: Path to executable (e.g., "/usr/bin/gedit")
fileTypes (required): Array of file extensions (with dot) or filenames
- Examples: [".md", ".txt", ".cursorrules"]
- Can also match language IDs for editor context

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

Use appName with the app bundle name (e.g., "Typora", "Sublime Text")
Or use appPath pointing to the .app bundle or executable inside it
Example: "/Applications/Typora.app" or "/Applications/Typora.app/Contents/MacOS/Typora"

Windows

Use appName for common apps (e.g., "notepad", "code")
Or use appPath with full path to .exe file
Example: "C:\\Program Files\\Typora\\Typora.exe"

Linux

appName may work for some apps via xdg-open, but appPath is more reliable
Use appPath with full path to executable
Example: "/usr/bin/gedit" or "/usr/local/bin/code"

Usage

Right-click on a file in the Explorer or Editor
Select "Open with External App" from the context menu
If multiple apps are configured for the file type, a quick pick menu will appear
If only one app matches, it will open directly

Examples

Example 1: Open Markdown Files with Typora

{
  "openWithContextMenu.apps": [
    {
      "name": "Typora",
      "appName": "Typora",
      "appPath": "",
      "fileTypes": [".md", ".markdown"]
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: Open Code Files with Sublime Text (macOS)

{
  "openWithContextMenu.apps": [
    {
      "name": "Sublime Text",
      "appName": "",
      "appPath": "/Applications/Sublime Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl",
      "fileTypes": [".js", ".ts", ".jsx", ".tsx", ".json", ".py"]
    }
  ]
}

Example 3: Multiple Apps for Same File Type

{
  "openWithContextMenu.apps": [
    {
      "name": "Typora",
      "appName": "Typora",
      "fileTypes": [".md"]
    },
    {
      "name": "VS Code",
      "appName": "code",
      "fileTypes": [".md"]
    }
  ]
}

When right-clicking a .md file, you'll see a quick pick menu to choose between Typora and VS Code.

Requirements

VS Code 1.60.0 or higher

Known Issues

Menu items are static and defined in package.json. After changing configuration, commands work immediately, but you may need to reload the window for menu visibility changes.
On Linux, appName may not work reliably for all applications. Use appPath for best results.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT

Publisher

Published by Tarik

Tarik Kavaz