Google Drive for VS Code

Mount Google Drive as a native workspace folder in VS Code. Browse, read, and write files directly from the VS Code File Explorer.

Features

• Native File Explorer integration - Google Drive appears as a workspace folder using VS Code's FileSystemProvider API
• Interactive folder picker - Browse your Drive hierarchy or paste a folder URL to mount a specific folder
• Full file operations - Read, write, create, delete, rename, and move files and folders
• Secure authentication - OAuth2 with token storage in VS Code's SecretStorage
• Google Workspace handling - Gracefully skips Google Docs/Sheets/Slides (which can't be downloaded as raw files)

Setup

1. Create Google OAuth2 Credentials

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Enable the Google Drive API (APIs & Services > Library)
4. Create OAuth credentials (APIs & Services > Credentials > Create Credentials > OAuth client ID)
   • Application type: Desktop app
5. Configure the OAuth consent screen if prompted:
   • Add scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive
   • Add your email as a test user

2. Install & Run

npm install
npm run compile

Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host.

3. Connect to Google Drive

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run "Google Drive: Sign In"
3. Enter your OAuth2 Client ID and Client Secret when prompted
4. Authorize in the browser window that opens
5. Run "Google Drive: Browse & Open Folder" to pick a folder, or "Google Drive: Open My Drive (Root)" to mount your entire Drive

Commands

Development

npm run compile   # Build once
npm run watch     # Watch mode

Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host for testing.

Architecture

src/
  extension.ts              # Entry point, command registration
  auth.ts                   # OAuth2 flow, token management
  drive-client.ts           # Google Drive API v3 wrapper
  drive-picker.ts           # Interactive folder browser (QuickPick)
  file-system-provider.ts   # vscode.FileSystemProvider implementation
  logger.ts                 # OutputChannel-based logging

Limitations

• Google Workspace documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides) are not shown in the file explorer since they cannot be downloaded as raw files
• No real-time sync — changes made outside VS Code won't appear until you refresh
• Google Drive allows duplicate file names in a folder; only the first match is used during path resolution