Linesmith

A VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf extension that types code into the active editor on cue — clean playback, no autocomplete fights. Built so recording tutorials stops being a typo-and-retake loop.

Install

Usage

.linesmith script files

Scripts are plain text with --- on its own line separating chunks. Edit them in a normal VS Code tab:

import { useState } from 'react';

---

function Counter() {
  const [n, setN] = useState(0);
  return <button onClick={() => setN(n + 1)}>{n}</button>;
}

---

export default Counter;

Three chunks, played one at a time.

Talking-point notes (@note)

Add @note lines at the top of a chunk to attach talking points that show in the panel but never get typed into the target. Stack as many as you want — they render under the chunk preview as a reminder of what to say while typing.

@note Set the scene — debouncing is the classic search-input problem
@note Closure point: timeoutId persists across calls

function debounce(fn, delay = 300) {
  let timeoutId;
  ...
}

The first blank or non-@ line ends the directive block; everything after that is the body that gets typed.

The recording flow

1. Open your .linesmith script in one tab
2. Click into the code file you want to type into — that becomes the target
3. Run Linesmith: Open Panel (command palette)
4. Hit Play Next (or ctrl+alt+l / cmd+alt+l) to type the next chunk

The target editor is whichever non-.linesmith tab you last clicked into. The panel shows it in the header so it's never ambiguous.

Countdown before playback

Optional 3-second or 5-second pre-roll before Play Next starts typing — gives you time to finish narrating the lead-in before characters appear. Toggle via the Countdown dropdown in the panel, or set a default with linesmith.defaultCountdown. Off by default; the clipboard fast path always skips countdown.

Re-arm from any chunk

Hover a chunk card and click the ⏮ button to mark earlier chunks as played and this chunk + all later as un-played. Useful when a take goes wrong partway through — Ctrl+Z in the target to undo the bad code, click ⏮ on the chunk to restart from, then hit Play Next.

Clipboard fast path

For one-off blocks: copy code anywhere, focus the target editor, hit ctrl+alt+shift+l (or cmd+alt+shift+l). Types the clipboard contents at the cursor.

Commands

Settings

How it works

Linesmith uses the VS Code Extension API directly (TextEditor.edit()) rather than injecting keystrokes. That sidesteps autocomplete, bracket auto-close, snippets, and formatOnType — and works in remote sessions (SSH, WSL, Codespaces) where keystroke injection often can't reach.

Roadmap

• v0.1 (this release) — typing engine, .linesmith files, panel, clipboard hotkey, language contribution
• v0.2 — cursor choreography: per-chunk @directive frontmatter (@cursor end-of-line, @speed 60)
• v0.3 — pause-on-marker ({{pause}} tokens that wait for a keyboard cue)
• v0.4 — typo-and-correction simulation
• v0.5 — multi-file scripts
• v1.0 — record-and-replay

License

MIT