Code to Markdown (Code2Markdown) Extension for Visual Studio Code

The Code2Markdown Extension lets you convert selected code files in VS Code into a single Markdown file. Each file's content is wrapped in a syntax-highlighted code block, making it ideal for documentation, sharing, or archiving code snippets. It's especially useful for preparing code in an AI-friendly format for prompts.

Why use Code2Markdown?

Benefits for AI Prompts

• Efficient Token Usage: Markdown's lightweight syntax minimizes token counts, reducing costs with AI services.
• Easy for AI to Understand: Plain-text format with language identifiers (e.g., ```python) helps AI parse code accurately.
• Organized and Readable: Structure your codebase with headers and sections for clarity.
• Faster Processing: Markdown requires no preprocessing, speeding up AI response times.

How Code2Markdown Saves Time and Money

• One-Click Markdown Creation: Automatically formats code into Markdown with proper code blocks.
• Token Optimization: Clean output reduces token usage, lowering costs.
• Reduced Processing Time: Structured Markdown helps AI understand your code faster.
• Cost Savings: Lower token counts and quicker interactions save money for programmers using AI services.

Features

• Generate Markdown files from multiple files via the Command Palette or Explorer context menu.
• Table of Contents: Automatically generates a TOC with links to each included file.
• Unique file naming with timestamps and versioning to prevent overwrites.
• Syntax highlighting based on file extensions (e.g., .ts → typescript, .py → python, .rs → rust).
• Display of relative file paths for better context.
• Detailed logging for troubleshooting.

Installation from VS Code

You can install the Code2Markdown Extension directly from the VS Code Marketplace within VS Code:

1. Open VS Code.
2. Click the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar or press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS).
3. Search for Code2Markdown.
4. Look for "Code2Markdown Extension" by WIZWAM.
5. Click Install.

Alternatively, you can install it via the VS Code Quick Open command:

1. Open Quick Open with Ctrl+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+P (macOS).
2. Paste the following command and press Enter:

   ext install WIZWAM.Code2Markdown-Wizwam
   

Installation from GitHub Repository

To install and test the extension directly from the GitHub repository, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository:

   • Clone the repository to your local machine:

     git clone https://github.com/lukejmorrison/code2md.git
     

   • Alternatively, download the repository as a ZIP file and extract it to a folder named code2md.

2. Install Dependencies:

   • Open a terminal in the code2md directory.
   • Run the following command to install the required dependencies:

     npm install
     

3. Compile the Extension:

   • Compile the TypeScript code into JavaScript:

     npm run compile
     

   • Alternatively, use npm run watch to automatically recompile on changes.

4. Test the Extension in VS Code:

   • Open the code2md folder in VS Code.
   • Press F5 to launch a new VS Code window with the extension loaded.
   • Use the Command Palette or context menu to test Markdown generation.

Usage

Using the Command Palette

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on macOS).
2. Type Generate Markdown from Files and select it.
3. Choose one or more files in the file picker.
4. A Markdown file (e.g., 2023-10-25_0230PM_MyProject_v01.md) will be created in the codereview folder.

Using Folder Selection (Recommended for Multiple Files)

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on macOS).
2. Type Generate Markdown from Folder and select it.
3. Choose a folder containing the files you want to include.
   Note: Select the folder itself, not individual files within it.
4. Enter the file extensions to include (e.g., rs,toml,html).
5. The extension will recursively find all matching files and generate a Markdown file in the codereview folder.

Using the Context Menu

1. In the Explorer, select one or more files using Ctrl+Click (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Click (macOS) for multiple selections.
2. Right-click and choose Generate Markdown from Selected Files.
3. A Markdown file with a Table of Contents and all selected files will be generated in the codereview folder:

   your-project/
   └── codereview/
       ├── 2025-03-19_0257PM_MyProject_v01.md    # Generated markdown file
       └── 2025-03-19_0257PM_MyProject_v01.log    # Corresponding log file
   

   Note: If multiple file selection doesn't work, use the "Generate Markdown from Folder" command instead.

Output Format

The generated Markdown includes:

• A project title based on the workspace name.
• A Table of Contents with links to each file section.
• File sections with relative paths and syntax-highlighted code blocks.
• All output files are stored in a codereview folder:

  your-project/
  ├── codereview/
  │   ├── 2025-03-19_0257PM_MyProject_v01.md    # Generated markdown file
  │   └── 2025-03-19_0257PM_MyProject_v01.log    # Corresponding log file
  ├── src/
  └── ...
  

Troubleshooting

• Log Files: Check detailed logs in the codereview folder (e.g., codereview/2025-03-19_0257PM_MyProject_v01.log).
• Output Location: All generated files are stored in a codereview folder in your workspace.
• Output Panel: Open the Output panel in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+U), select "Extension Host," and look for [code2md] messages.
• Common Issues:
  • No files selected: Ensure you select files or a folder as required by the command.
  • Multiple file selection issues: Use the "Generate Markdown from Folder" command if Ctrl+Click fails.
  • Permission errors: Verify VS Code has write access to create and write to the codereview directory.

Development

• Build: Run npm run compile or npm run watch.
• Folder Structure:

  code2md/
  ├── src/                 # Source code
  │   └── extension.ts     # Main extension code
  ├── out/                 # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
  │   ├── extension.js     # Compiled extension
  │   └── extension.js.map # Source map
  ├── examples/            # Example files for testing
  ├── images/              # Extension icon
  │   └── code2md-icon.png
  ├── node_modules/        # Dependencies (generated)
  ├── .vscode/             # VS Code settings
  ├── package.json         # Project configuration and dependencies
  ├── tsconfig.json        # TypeScript compiler configuration
  └── README.md            # Project documentation
  

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.