Auto Boilerplate for VS Code
Auto Boilerplate automatically detects newly created or opened empty files in VS Code and inserts clean, idiomatic boilerplate code with the cursor placed directly inside the primary editable block (e.g. inside main() or <body>).
No snippet triggers, Tab pressing, or manual commands needed—it works automatically out of the box.
Supported Languages & File Extensions
| Language |
Extensions |
Cursor Placement |
Notes |
| C |
.c |
Inside main() |
Standard C entry point with return 0; |
| C++ |
.cpp, .cc, .cxx, .hpp, .h, .hh, .hxx |
Inside main() |
Standard C++ entry point with <iostream> and using namespace std; |
| Java |
.java |
Inside main() |
Dynamically derives public class <Name> matching the filename |
| Python |
.py |
On pass statement |
def main(): pass with __name__ == '__main__' guard |
| JavaScript |
.js, .cjs |
Inside main() |
Node.js / CommonJS script with require.main === module check |
| JavaScript (ESM) |
.mjs |
Inside main() |
Modern ES module export export function main() |
| TypeScript |
.ts, .cts, .mts |
Inside main() |
Typed entry point function main(): void |
| HTML |
.html, .htm |
Inside <body> |
HTML5 boilerplate with dynamic <title> matching filename, style.css, and script.js |
| CSS |
.css |
Inside body { ... } |
CSS reset and baseline styling with :root variables |
| Kotlin |
.kt, .kts |
Inside main() |
Kotlin standard entry point fun main() { ... } |
| Go |
.go |
Inside main() |
Standard package main with fmt.Println |
| Rust |
.rs |
Inside main() |
Standard fn main() { println!(...); } |
| C# |
.cs |
Inside Main() |
class <Name> derived from filename (or Program) with Main |
Important Language Notes
C++ (<iostream>)
The C++ template includes standard #include <iostream> and using namespace std;. This is 100% compliant with standard ISO C++ and works without missing-header errors across macOS (Apple Clang/Xcode), Linux (GCC/Clang), and Windows (MSVC).
Java Class Naming
Java requires the name of any public class to match its source filename exactly.
- For
Main.java, the class generated is public class Main.
- For
Solution.java, the class generated is public class Solution.
- If the filename is not a valid Java identifier (e.g. contains spaces like
My Project.java, dashes like my-app.java, or starts with a digit), Auto Boilerplate falls back safely to public class Main and inserts an explanatory comment explaining the Java compiler restriction.
C# Class Naming
The C# template derives a valid C# identifier from the filename (e.g. Calculator.cs generates class Calculator). If the filename contains invalid characters or reserved words, it falls back to class Program.
Safety Guarantees
- Zero Overwriting: The extension strictly checks that the target file has a size of 0 bytes (
length === 0). It will never overwrite, replace, or modify any file that contains existing text.
- Race Condition Protection: Concurrency locks prevent duplicate insertions when multiple VS Code events (
onDidCreateFiles, onDidOpenTextDocument, onDidChangeActiveTextEditor) fire simultaneously for the same file.
- Emptiness Re-check: The file's emptiness is re-verified immediately before applying the workspace edit.
- Virtual / Read-Only Protection: Ignores untitled documents (
Untitled-1), git diff buffers, output windows, and non-file schemes.
- No Background Polling: Uses event-driven VS Code APIs without heavy filesystem watchers or interval polling.
Configuration Settings
You can customize the extension via VS Code Settings (Cmd + , on macOS) by searching for Auto Boilerplate:
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
autoBoilerplate.enabled |
boolean |
true |
Globally enable or disable automatic boilerplate insertion. |
autoBoilerplate.onOpenEmptyFiles |
boolean |
true |
When true, inserts templates into empty files whenever they are opened. When false, only newly created files receive boilerplate. |
autoBoilerplate.showNotification |
boolean |
false |
When true, displays an informational message when a template is inserted. |
Manual Usage (Optional)
Although normal usage is completely automatic upon file creation or opening, you can also trigger template insertion manually:
- Open any empty supported file.
- Open the Command Palette (
Cmd + Shift + P).
- Run Auto Boilerplate: Insert Template into Current File.
Customizing Templates
To edit or add templates:
- Open
~/auto-boilerplate/templates.js.
- Locate the
TEMPLATES object or EXTENSION_MAP.
- Add or modify the template string using
${CURSOR_MARKER} where you want the cursor placed.
- Run tests:
npm test.
- Re-package and install using
npx @vscode/vsce package and code --install-extension auto-boilerplate-1.0.0.vsix.
Uninstallation / Disabling
To disable or uninstall:
| |
