VS Code Dump

VS Code Dump creates a single UTF-8 text file that concatenates the most relevant source files from your workspace. It is designed for AI/LLM hand-off, quick context sharing, and lightweight audits without exposing binaries or build artefacts. The extension keeps the output deterministic, respects your filters, and streams large outputs to avoid memory spikes.

Key features

• Deterministic ordering so dumps are reproducible.
• Respects .gitignore, manual include/exclude lists, and file-size limits.
• Streams large outputs to avoid memory spikes and cleans up on cancellation.
• Preset support for one-click context switching between common project types.

Install

1. Marketplace – search for “VS Code Dump” in the VS Code Marketplace and install it (publisher: blarkdackbyte).
2. Manual VSIX – build locally with npm run package and install via the Extensions view (⋮ → Install from VSIX…).

Use it in three steps

1. Run VS Code Dump: Create Dump File from the Command Palette or Explorer context menu.
2. Optionally pick a preset to override the default include/exclude settings for this run.
3. Choose whether to open the generated file, reveal it in the Explorer, or simply close the notification.

Commands

Configure the dump

All settings live under VS Code › VS Code Dump. Highlights include:

• codeDump.outputPath: Relative path for the dump file (default: .code-dump/code-base.txt).
• codeDump.followGitignore: Respect .gitignore files while scanning (default: true).
• codeDump.exposeAbsolutePaths: Control whether absolute paths are shown in headers and previews.
• codeDump.includeExtensions, codeDump.includeFileNames, codeDump.includeGlobs: Fine-grained inclusion controls.
• codeDump.excludeDirs, codeDump.excludeFileNames, codeDump.excludeGlobs: Filters that keep build artefacts and generated files out.
• codeDump.maxFileBytes: Cap the size of individual files (default: 5_242_880 bytes).
• codeDump.presets: Define reusable presets for different projects or audiences.

When using glob patterns, prefer forward slashes and omit leading ./. Examples: src/**/*.ts to scope inclusions to TypeScript under src, or **/*.spec.ts in codeDump.excludeGlobs to drop test files even if their extensions are otherwise included.

Presets in practice

Presets let you switch configurations quickly. Example:

{
  "name": "Backend Lean",
  "includeExtensions": ["ts", "tsx", "js", "jsx", "json", "java", "kt", "kts", "groovy", "sql", "yml", "yaml"],
  "includeFileNames": ["Dockerfile", "Jenkinsfile", "Makefile", "pom.xml"],
  "excludeDirs": ["node_modules", "dist", "out", "build", "target", ".git"],
  "excludeGlobs": ["**/*.spec.ts"],
  "maxFileBytes": 4194304
}

For Angular CLI repositories, try a preset tuned for templates, styles, and Angular configuration:

{
  "name": "Angular Workspace",
  "includeExtensions": ["ts", "html", "scss", "css", "sass", "less", "json", "md"],
  "includeFileNames": ["angular.json", "tsconfig.app.json", "tsconfig.spec.json", "karma.conf.js", "package.json", "browserslist"],
  "excludeDirs": ["dist", ".angular", "coverage", "node_modules", "tmp"],
  "maxFileBytes": 3670016
}

How the dump is built

• Stable, locale-aware sorting keeps outputs deterministic.
• Binary detection uses a lightweight NUL-byte check plus your size limit to skip unsuitable files.
• .gitignore support (root + nested files) keeps unwanted files out when enabled.
• Streaming writer automatically switches to chunked writes for outputs above ~10 MB.
• Progress notifications offer cancellation, and partial outputs are cleaned up if you abort.

Tips & troubleshooting

• Use Preview (Dry Run) to confirm which files will be included before writing to disk, then pick Select files and dump to deselect anything you want to skip before the actual dump is written.
• Create multiple presets (e.g. “LLM hand-off”, “Security review”) and pick the right one per run.
• Disable codeDump.exposeAbsolutePaths when sharing dumps outside your organisation.
• Lower codeDump.maxFileBytes if you regularly hit size limits during previews.

More resources

• Changelog
• Contributing guide
• Security policy

License

MIT