VS Code Tekton Pipeline Validator

A Visual Studio Code extension that validates Tekton YAML pipelines using the tektor tool.

Features

• Real-time validation: Automatically validates Tekton pipelines as you type
• Manual validation: Run validation on demand using the command palette
• Error highlighting: Shows validation errors directly in the editor with diagnostics
• Output channel: Detailed validation results in a dedicated output panel
• Configuration: Customizable tektor executable path

Prerequisites

1. VS Code: This extension requires Visual Studio Code version 1.74.0 or higher.
2. tektor tool: The tektor validation tool is bundled with this extension for the following platforms:
   • macOS ARM64
   • Linux x86_64
   • Windows x86_64 The extension will automatically select the correct binary for your platform.

Note: If you prefer to use your own tektor installation, you can configure the path in VS Code settings.

Platform Support

This extension bundles the tektor binary for:

• macOS ARM64 (binaries/darwin-arm64/tektor)
• Linux x86_64 (binaries/linux-x64/tektor)
• Windows x86_64 (binaries/win32-x64/tektor.exe)

If you need support for additional platforms, you can cross-compile tektor using Go and add the binary to the appropriate binaries/ subdirectory.

Installation

For Development

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd vscode-plugin
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Compile the extension:

   npm run compile
   

4. Press F5 in VS Code to launch the extension in a new Extension Development Host window.

For End Users

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace (when published)
2. Or install from the .vsix file (see Packaging section below)

Usage

Automatic Validation

The extension automatically validates Tekton YAML files when:

• You open a YAML file containing Tekton resources
• You make changes to a YAML file (with a 1-second debounce)

Manual Validation

1. Open a Tekton YAML file
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) to open the command palette
3. Type "Tekton: Validate Pipeline" and select the command

Configuration

You can configure the tektor executable path in VS Code settings (optional):

1. Open VS Code settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,)
2. Search for "Tekton Validator"
3. Set the tektonValidator.tektorPath setting to the path of your tektor executable

Default behavior: The extension uses the bundled tektor binary automatically. Only set a custom path if you want to use a different tektor installation.

Supported Tekton Resources

The extension validates the following Tekton resource types:

• Pipeline
• Task
• PipelineRun
• TaskRun

Validation Features

The extension uses tektor to perform the following validations:

• Verify PipelineTasks pass all required parameters to Tasks
• Verify PipelineTasks pass known parameters to Tasks
• Verify PipelineTasks pass parameters of expected types to Tasks
• Verify PipelineTasks use known Task results
• Resolve remote/local Tasks via PaC resolver, Bundles resolver, and embedded Task definitions

Development

Building the Extension

npm install
npm run compile

Running Tests

npm test

Watching for Changes

npm run watch

Packaging

Prerequisites for Packaging

1. Install vsce (VS Code Extension Manager):

   npm install -g vsce
   

2. Make sure your package.json has the required fields:

   • name: Extension identifier
   • displayName: Human-readable name
   • description: Extension description
   • version: Extension version
   • publisher: Your publisher name (for marketplace publishing)

Create a .vsix Package

1. Build the extension:

   npm run compile
   

2. Package the extension:

   vsce package
   

   This will create a .vsix file in your project directory.

Install the .vsix Package

1. In VS Code, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Type "Extensions: Install from VSIX..."
3. Select your .vsix file
4. Restart VS Code when prompted

Publishing to the VS Code Marketplace

1. Create a publisher account at Visual Studio Marketplace

2. Get a Personal Access Token (PAT) from Azure DevOps

3. Login with vsce:

   vsce login <publisher-name>
   

4. Publish the extension:

   vsce publish
   

   Or publish a specific version:

   vsce publish patch  # 1.0.0 -> 1.0.1
   vsce publish minor  # 1.0.0 -> 1.1.0
   vsce publish major  # 1.0.0 -> 2.0.0
   

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Loading

1. Check that the extension compiled successfully:

   npm run compile
   

2. Verify out/extension.js exists

3. Check the "Log (Extension Host)" output panel for errors

tektor Not Found

1. Verify tektor is installed:

   which tektor
   

2. Update the tektor path in VS Code settings

3. Check that the tektor executable has proper permissions

Validation Not Working

1. Ensure your YAML file contains Tekton resources (apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1)
2. Check the "Tekton Validator" output panel for detailed error messages
3. Verify the tektor tool can validate your file from the command line

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgments

• tektor - The underlying validation tool
• Tekton - The CI/CD framework this extension supports