RE-cue VS Code Extension

VS Code extension for in-editor reverse engineering analysis using RE-cue.

⚠️ Important: Dependencies

The VS Code extension requires the RE-cue Python package to be installed. The extension provides IDE integration features (hover, CodeLens, tree views, navigation) but relies on the Python CLI for code analysis.

Installation Requirements

Python 3.6+ must be installed and accessible

RE-cue Python Package must be installed:

cd reverse-engineer-python
pip install -e .

Verify installation:

python3 -c "import reverse_engineer; print('RE-cue installed')"

Without the Python package, the extension cannot perform analysis. See Installation section below for complete setup instructions.

Features

Analyze File: Right-click any supported file to analyze it
Analyze Folder: Right-click any folder to analyze its contents
Works from Explorer view and Editor title bar

📊 Side Panel Results

View analysis results in a dedicated sidebar with organized views:

Analysis Results: Overview of discovered components
Use Cases: Extracted use cases with actors and scenarios
Actors: Discovered system actors (human, system, external)
System Boundaries: Detected architectural boundaries
API Endpoints: Discovered REST endpoints with methods

🔗 Navigate to Definitions

Click items in tree views to navigate to source
Document links for cross-references
Navigate from use case to related code

📝 Inline Documentation Preview

Hover Information: Hover over endpoints, models, services to see details
CodeLens: See use case references directly in code
Tooltips: Rich markdown tooltips with full context

🔄 Auto-Update on Save

Enable auto-analysis when files are saved
Configurable in settings
Keeps documentation in sync with code changes

Installation

Step 1: Install Python Package (Required)

The VS Code extension requires the RE-cue Python package to function. The extension provides the IDE interface, but all analysis is performed by the Python CLI.

Option A: Install from PyPI (Recommended for Most Users)

The easiest way to install RE-cue is from the Python Package Index (PyPI):

# Install the latest stable version
pip install re-cue

# Verify installation
recue --help
python3 -c "import reverse_engineer; print('RE-cue Python package installed successfully')"

PyPI Package: https://pypi.org/project/re-cue/

This is the recommended method for most users as it:

✅ Installs the latest stable release
✅ Works on all platforms (macOS, Linux, Windows)
✅ Handles updates easily with pip install --upgrade re-cue
✅ No repository cloning required

Option B: Install from GitHub Repository (Recommended for Development)

For development or to get the latest unreleased features:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/cue-3/re-cue.git
cd re-cue

# Install the Python package in development mode
pip install -e reverse-engineer-python/

# Verify installation
python3 -c "import reverse_engineer; print('RE-cue Python package installed successfully')"
recue --help

Option C: Install from Local Directory

If you already have the repository cloned:

# Navigate to the Python package directory
cd /path/to/re-cue/reverse-engineer-python

# Install in development mode (recommended)
pip install -e .

# OR install as a regular package
pip install .

# Verify installation
recue --help

Option D: Install with Virtual Environment (Recommended for Isolation)

# Create a virtual environment
python3 -m venv recue-venv

# Activate the virtual environment
# On macOS/Linux:
source recue-venv/bin/activate
# On Windows:
recue-venv\Scripts\activate

# Install from PyPI (recommended)
pip install re-cue

# OR install from local source
pip install -e /path/to/re-cue/reverse-engineer-python/

# Verify installation
recue --help

Important Notes:

Python 3.6+ is required (3.9+ recommended)
The package has zero external dependencies - only Python standard library is used
Use pip install re-cue for stable releases from PyPI
Use pip install -e . for development (changes reflected immediately)
Use pip install . for production from source (installs a fixed version)

Step 2: Install VS Code Extension

Option A: From Source (Development)

Clone the repository (if not already done)
Navigate to vscode-extension/
```
cd re-cue/vscode-extension
```
Install dependencies
```
npm install
```
Compile TypeScript
```
npm run compile
```
Launch Extension Development Host
- Press F5 in VS Code, OR
- Run Debug > Start Debugging from the menu

Option B: From VSIX Package (Production)

Download the .vsix file from GitHub Releases

Install using VS Code CLI:

code --install-extension re-cue-x.x.x.vsix

Or install via VS Code UI:
- Open VS Code
- Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
- Click "..." menu → "Install from VSIX..."
- Select the downloaded .vsix file

Step 3: Configure Python Path (If Needed)

If you used a virtual environment or non-standard Python installation, configure the Python path:

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
Search for "RE-cue: Python Path"

Set the path to your Python executable:

{
  "recue.pythonPath": "/path/to/venv/bin/python3"
}

Common Python paths:

macOS/Linux with venv: /path/to/re-cue/reverse-engineer-python/venv/bin/python3
macOS with Homebrew: /usr/local/bin/python3 or /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
Linux: /usr/bin/python3
Windows with venv: C:\path\to\re-cue\reverse-engineer-python\venv\Scripts\python.exe
Windows: C:\Python39\python.exe

Verify Installation

After completing all steps, verify everything is working:

Open a supported project (Java, Python, TypeScript, etc.)
Right-click on a file in the Explorer
Select "RE-cue: Analyze File"
Check the Output panel (View > Output > RE-cue) for analysis logs
View results in the RE-cue sidebar

Usage

Analyze a File

Open a supported file (Java, Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Ruby, C#)
Right-click in the editor or file explorer
Select "RE-cue: Analyze File"

Analyze a Folder

Right-click on a folder in the Explorer
Select "RE-cue: Analyze Folder"

Analyze Workspace

Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
Type "RE-cue: Analyze Workspace"
Press Enter

Generate Documentation

Use the Command Palette to generate specific documentation:

RE-cue: Generate Specification
RE-cue: Generate Implementation Plan
RE-cue: Generate Use Cases
RE-cue: Generate Data Model
RE-cue: Generate API Contract
RE-cue: Generate Diagrams
RE-cue: Generate All Documentation

Quick Actions

Click the RE-cue status bar item
Or use RE-cue: Quick Actions command
Select from available actions

Configuration

Access settings via File > Preferences > Settings > Extensions > RE-cue or use the RE-cue: Open Settings command.

Setting	Default	Description
`recue.pythonPath`	`python3`	Path to Python executable
`recue.autoAnalyzeOnSave`	`false`	Auto-analyze on file save
`recue.outputDirectory`	`""`	Custom output directory
`recue.defaultFramework`	`auto`	Default framework for analysis
`recue.enableDiagnostics`	`true`	Show analysis issues as diagnostics
`recue.enableHover`	`true`	Show inline documentation on hover
`recue.enableCodeLens`	`true`	Show use case references as CodeLens
`recue.verboseOutput`	`false`	Enable verbose output
`recue.enableCache`	`true`	Enable analysis caching
`recue.enableParallelProcessing`	`true`	Enable parallel processing

Supported Languages

Java (Spring Boot)
Python (Django, Flask, FastAPI)
TypeScript/JavaScript (Express, NestJS)
Ruby (Rails)
C# (ASP.NET Core)

Commands

Command	Description
`recue.analyzeFile`	Analyze current file
`recue.analyzeFolder`	Analyze selected folder
`recue.analyzeWorkspace`	Analyze entire workspace
`recue.generateSpec`	Generate specification
`recue.generatePlan`	Generate implementation plan
`recue.generateUseCases`	Generate use cases
`recue.generateDataModel`	Generate data model
`recue.generateApiContract`	Generate API contract
`recue.generateDiagrams`	Generate diagrams
`recue.generateAll`	Generate all documentation
`recue.refreshResults`	Refresh analysis results
`recue.clearResults`	Clear all results
`recue.openSettings`	Open extension settings
`recue.showQuickPick`	Show quick actions

Output

Generated documentation is saved to re-<project-name>/ directory in your project:

your-project/
└── re-your-project/
    ├── spec.md                    # Feature specification
    ├── plan.md                    # Implementation plan
    ├── data-model.md              # Data model documentation
    ├── diagrams.md                # Visual diagrams (Mermaid)
    ├── phase1-structure.md        # Project structure analysis
    ├── phase2-actors.md           # Actor discovery
    ├── phase3-boundaries.md       # System boundaries
    ├── phase4-use-cases.md        # Use case analysis
    └── contracts/
        └── api-spec.json          # OpenAPI specification

Troubleshooting

Python not found

Error: "Python executable not found" or "python3 command not found"

Solutions:

Verify Python is installed:

python3 --version
# Should show Python 3.6 or higher

Set the correct Python path in VS Code settings:

{
  "recue.pythonPath": "/usr/local/bin/python3"
}

Find your Python path:

# macOS/Linux
which python3

# Windows (PowerShell)
Get-Command python

RE-cue module not found

Error: "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'reverse_engineer'" or "recue command not found"

Solutions:

Verify the Python package is installed:

python3 -c "import reverse_engineer; print('Installed')"
# Should print "Installed" without errors

Install/reinstall the Python package:

# From repository root
pip install -e reverse-engineer-python/

# Or from the Python package directory
cd reverse-engineer-python
pip install -e .

If using a virtual environment, ensure it's activated:

# macOS/Linux
source venv/bin/activate

# Windows
venv\Scripts\activate

If using a virtual environment, configure the VS Code extension to use the venv Python:
```
{
  "recue.pythonPath": "/absolute/path/to/venv/bin/python3"
}
```
Check which pip is being used (might be installing to wrong Python):
```
which pip
pip --version
# Should match your Python 3 installation
```

No results showing

Issue: Analysis completes but no results appear in the sidebar

Solutions:

Ensure the project is supported (has recognizable framework):
- Java: Spring Boot, Maven/Gradle projects
- Python: Django, Flask, FastAPI
- TypeScript/JavaScript: Express, NestJS
- Ruby: Rails
- C#: ASP.NET Core
Check Output panel for errors:
- Open View > Output
- Select "RE-cue" from the dropdown
- Look for error messages
Enable verbose output:
```
{
  "recue.verboseOutput": true
}
```
Try analyzing with a simple test file first
Verify file permissions (extension needs read access)

Analysis is slow

Issue: Analysis takes a long time for large projects

Solutions:

Enable caching (stores analysis results):
```
{
  "recue.enableCache": true
}
```
Enable parallel processing (analyzes multiple files concurrently):
```
{
  "recue.enableParallelProcessing": true
}
```
Analyze folders incrementally instead of entire workspace
Exclude large dependencies/node_modules from analysis
Use file-level analysis for quick checks
Check available system resources (RAM, CPU)

Permission denied errors

Error: "EACCES: permission denied" or "Access denied"

Solutions:

Ensure you have read permissions for the project directory
Check output directory permissions (defaults to project root)

Set a custom output directory with write permissions:

{
  "recue.outputDirectory": "/path/to/writable/directory"
}

Extension not appearing in VS Code

Issue: Extension installed but not visible

Solutions:

Reload VS Code window (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P → "Reload Window")
Verify extension is installed:
- Open Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
- Search for "RE-cue"
- Should show as installed
Check for installation errors:
- Help > Toggle Developer Tools
- Look for errors in Console tab
Try reinstalling the extension

Getting Help

If you continue experiencing issues:

Check the GitHub Issues for similar problems
Review the documentation
Open a new issue with:
- VS Code version
- Python version
- RE-cue extension version
- Full error message from Output panel
- Steps to reproduce

Development

Build

cd vscode-extension
npm install
npm run compile

Watch Mode

npm run watch

Package

npm run package

Test

npm run test

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see the main CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

RE-cue

cue3

RE-cue VS Code Extension

⚠️ Important: Dependencies

Installation Requirements

Features

🖱️ Right-Click Context Menu

📊 Side Panel Results

🔗 Navigate to Definitions

📝 Inline Documentation Preview

🔄 Auto-Update on Save

Installation

Step 1: Install Python Package (Required)

Option A: Install from PyPI (Recommended for Most Users)

Option B: Install from GitHub Repository (Recommended for Development)

Option C: Install from Local Directory

Option D: Install with Virtual Environment (Recommended for Isolation)

Step 2: Install VS Code Extension

Option A: From Source (Development)

Option B: From VSIX Package (Production)

Step 3: Configure Python Path (If Needed)

Verify Installation

Usage

Analyze a File

Analyze a Folder

Analyze Workspace

Generate Documentation

Quick Actions

Configuration

Supported Languages

Commands

Output

Troubleshooting

Python not found

RE-cue module not found

No results showing

Analysis is slow

Permission denied errors

Extension not appearing in VS Code

Getting Help

Development

Build

Watch Mode

Package

Test

Contributing

License

Related