ZST Viewer – Read compressed files right inside VS Code
Tiny extension that lets you open any .zst text file (CSV, JSON, logs, or any other compressed text) as plain text, with full syntax highlighting (e.g. .log, .csv, etc.).
▶ Example: open .zst files in VS Code
TL;DR
✅ Right-click any .zst file (in the explorer) → View decoded .zst file
✅ Ctrl + Shift + P → ZST Viewer: View decoded file
✅ Instantly see the text (read-only) inside VS Code
Why you might need it 🤕
The pain
Someone sends you server.log.zst or large.csv.zst or any other text archive.
Opening it in VS Code shows only a grey “binary file” placeholder; the editor can’t display the contents.
What you do today without this extension
Running an editor like VIM or Emacs can show the contents, but it’s not convenient.
Alternatively, you have to:
Run a command-line tool (zstd -d or similar or a Python script) to decompress.
Locate and open the new file in VS Code to get highlighting.
What this extension gives you 🚀
ZST Viewer eliminates the manual decompression — one command inside VS Code opens the file with proper highlighting and keeps temporary files neatly in a dedicated cache folder.
Feature
Description
Right-click ➜ View decoded .zst file
Opens the file with proper highlighting
Ctrl + Shift + P ➜ ZST Viewer: View decoded file
Asks you to pick a .zst file
Smart on-disk cache
Re-uses previous decompressions
Cross-platform
Pure JavaScript (fzstd), works on Linux, Windows, macOS, WSL, SSH
Quick start 🛠️
1. Install
📦 From the Marketplace: search for “ZST Viewer” (extension ID: zstd-viewer)
Or install manually via .vsix: Extensions ▸ ⋯ ▸ Install from VSIX
2. Using the extension
Right-click ➜ View decoded .zst file
▶ Right-click on the .zst file to view decoded text
Ctrl + Shift + P ➜ ZST Viewer: View decoded file
▶ Open the Command Palette, type “ZST Viewer” (or just “zst”), and select a file
Under the hood 🔧
Decompresses with fzstd (pure JS, no native code).
