Firmware Task Manager
A VSCode extension that runs tasks defined in .vscode/tasks.json with
interactive parameter prompts — serial port pickers, file dialogs, and
validated text input — tailored for firmware development workflows.
Features
- Activity bar view that lists tasks defined in the workspace (
.vscode/tasks.json)
- Run / terminate / restart tasks directly from the tree
- Favorite frequently used tasks
- Interactive input commands usable from the standard
inputs array of
tasks.json:
- Auto-detected serial port picker (
pickSerialPort)
- Validated text prompt (
promptInput)
- File / folder pickers (
pickFile, pickFolder)
- Dynamic list picker (
pickFromList)
- Pre-configure inputs without running: a gear icon ⚙️ next to tasks with
${input:...} variables opens the input UI without launching the task; the
selected values are stored and reused on the next ▶ run (no re-prompt).
Current values appear as a description next to the task name
(e.g. flash port=/dev/cu.usbserial · cfg=debug).
- Remembers the last value entered per task and prefills it on the next run
Use these commands as "type": "command" inputs in your tasks.json.
| Command |
Purpose |
Args |
firmware-task.pickSerialPort |
Auto-detects and lets the user pick a serial port. Falls back to manual entry if none detected. |
placeholder, filter (regex) |
firmware-task.promptInput |
Free-form text prompt. |
prompt, placeholder, value, password, validateRegex, validateMessage |
firmware-task.pickFile |
File picker (showOpenDialog). |
title, openLabel, filters, defaultUri, canSelectMany, relative |
firmware-task.pickFolder |
Folder picker. |
title, openLabel, defaultUri, relative |
firmware-task.pickFromList |
QuickPick over a custom list. |
items (string[] or {label,value,description}[]), placeholder |
Example tasks.json
{
"version": "2.0.0",
"tasks": [
{
"label": "Serial Monitor",
"type": "shell",
"command": "pyserial-miniterm ${input:port} ${input:baud}"
},
{
"label": "Flash Firmware",
"type": "shell",
"command": "openocd -f interface/stlink.cfg -c 'program ${input:bin} verify reset exit'"
}
],
"inputs": [
{ "id": "port", "type": "command", "command": "firmware-task.pickSerialPort" },
{
"id": "baud",
"type": "command",
"command": "firmware-task.promptInput",
"args": { "prompt": "Baud rate", "value": "115200", "validateRegex": "^\\d+$" }
},
{
"id": "bin",
"type": "command",
"command": "firmware-task.pickFile",
"args": { "filters": { "Firmware": ["bin", "hex", "elf"] } }
}
]
}
Variables (${input:port}, etc.) are substituted by Firmware Task Manager when
you launch the task from its tree view. Standard VSCode promptString and
pickString input types are also supported.
Configuration
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
firmwareTask.showOnlyWorkspaceTasks |
true |
Show only tasks defined in .vscode/tasks.json. Set to false to also show auto-detected tasks (CMake, npm, tsc, etc.). |
firmwareTask.rememberInputs |
true |
Remember last entered input values per task and prefill on subsequent runs. |
firmwareTask.serialPortFilter |
"" |
Regex applied to detected serial port device names. |
firmwareTask.exclude |
null |
Regex pattern for excluding tasks by name. |
firmwareTask.collapseLargeTaskTree |
true |
Collapse top-level groups when there are more than three groups and more than 30 tasks. |
firmwareTask.taskSortOrder |
"label" |
Sort order: "label", "group", or "provider". |
firmwareTask.favorites |
[] |
Saved favorite task ids (workspace settings). |
Installation (local VSIX)
pnpm install
pnpm run vsix
# → dist-vsix/firmware-task-manager-1.0.0.vsix
Install it in VSCode via Extensions: Install from VSIX... in the command
palette, or from the CLI:
code --install-extension dist-vsix/firmware-task-manager-1.0.0.vsix
Development
pnpm install
pnpm run watch # rolldown + tsc in watch mode
# Press F5 in VSCode to launch the Extension Development Host
Credits
This extension is based on
cnshenj/vscode-task-manager,
with modifications focused on firmware development workflows (serial port
picking, file dialogs, per-task remembered inputs, copy-command-line action,
etc.).
License
MIT
