Code Context by dotnetpower

Local source context for your coding agent. Find files, search source, and read nearby code with seven native tools backed by one shared Rust cache. Publisher: dotnetpower. Previous VSIX users: migration steps.

Resources

Repository · Setup · Tool reference · Benchmark report · Issues · License

VS Code's native right-hand Resources panel uses Marketplace metadata. For VSIX-only installations, use the links above instead.

Performance

On AKS Store Demo, the fixed retrieval mix averaged 6.83× faster with a warm CCTX cache (95% CI 6.65–7.06×): 3.809 → 0.557 ms per operation.

Task	CCTX off	CCTX on, warm	Off / on
Filename discovery	4.257 ms	0.566 ms	7.52×
Literal search	4.965 ms	0.428 ms	11.60×
Search + context	5.122 ms	0.499 ms	10.26×
Known read + hash	0.070 ms	0.799 ms	0.09× — slower
Fixed mixed suite	3.809 ms	0.557 ms	6.83×

Warm retrieval latency and speedup, including slower known reads

Eight daemon sessions and 8,960 correctness-checked pairs; OS cache warm in both arms. Off bypasses CCTX with ripgrep/direct reads; on uses daemon RPC. Known small reads were slower through CCTX. Cold misses fall back instead of waiting. This is not a measurement of VS Code dispatch, LLM latency, or whole-agent speed.

Full method, cold-start chart, raw data, and reproduction

Install

Preview · Local backend required. Linux, WSL, or Linux SSH with stable Rust, ripgrep, and a systemd user service. VS Code 1.140+ is required.

1. Install the backend inside the Linux host:

git clone https://github.com/dotnetpower/code-context.git
cd code-context
bash scripts/install.sh
~/.local/bin/cctx ping

2. Download the VSIX. In VS Code choose Extensions → … → Install from VSIX….

3. Run Code Context: Getting Started in a trusted workspace. Enable the tools in your agent's tool picker and try:

Use #cctxNativeFiles to find *Service*, then #cctxNativeContext for nearby source.

No proposed API flags are needed. Marketplace publication is separate from the downloadable VSIX. Windows Agents connection settings, manual registration, and troubleshooting are in the setup guide.

The cache is optional: CACHE_MISS is not an empty search. Continue with permitted host tools. Source remains local to the backend until selected results are returned to the calling agent; trust, scopes, ignores, and exclusions still apply.