Generous Disposition Extension
A VS Code extension for authoring structured AI prompts in .gdp format.
Features
- Syntax highlighting — full TextMate grammar for
.gdp files with block headers, keys, values, comments, and freeform sections
- Real-time linting — 14 diagnostic rules covering errors, warnings, and info-level hints
- Quick-fix code actions — automatic fixes for common linting issues
- Autocomplete — context-aware completions for block names, CONTEXT keys, CONSTRAINTS keys, and DECOMPOSE strategy/task fields
- Hover documentation — inline docs for all 8 canonical block headers
- Token estimation — per-block and total token counts with 3 model profiles (gpt-4/claude, gpt-3.5, llama-3)
- Status bar — live token count and prompt quality score
- 5 commands — Create New Prompt, Run Linter, Estimate Tokens, Normalize Prompt, Convert Freeform
- 12 snippets — quick insertion of blocks, templates, and common patterns
Installation
From VSIX
code --install-extension generous-disposition-0.1.0.vsix
From Marketplace
Search for "Generous Disposition" in the VS Code Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
Usage
Creating a new prompt
- Open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P)
- Run GD: Create New Prompt
- A new
.gdp file opens with the full block template
A .gdp file is a structured prompt composed of named blocks. Each block starts with an uppercase header followed by a colon. Indented lines beneath belong to that block.
Use --- to separate structured blocks from a freeform section at the end of the file.
Blocks
| Block |
Description |
INTENT |
The core request or goal of the prompt (required) |
WHY |
The motivation or reason behind the request |
FOR |
The target audience or consumer of the output |
CONTEXT |
Background information, stack details, environment |
CONSTRAINTS |
Output format, length, style, and other limitations |
EXAMPLE |
Example input/output pairs to guide the model |
ASSUMPTIONS |
Assumptions the model should make |
DECOMPOSE |
Task breakdown with strategy (sequential/parallel) |
Commands
| Command |
ID |
Description |
| GD: Create New Prompt |
gd.createPrompt |
Open an untitled .gdp file with the full block template |
| GD: Run Linter |
gd.runLinter |
Parse and lint the active .gdp file, show results in output channel |
| GD: Estimate Tokens |
gd.estimateTokens |
Show per-block token breakdown in output channel |
| GD: Normalize Prompt |
gd.normalizePrompt |
Reorder blocks to canonical order and fix formatting |
| GD: Convert Freeform |
gd.convertFreeform |
Convert selected freeform text into GD structure |
Configuration
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
generousDisposition.tokenProfile |
string |
gpt-4 / claude (default) |
Token estimation profile to use |
generousDisposition.tokenWarningThreshold |
number |
800 |
Warn when estimated token count exceeds this threshold |
generousDisposition.enableLinting |
boolean |
true |
Enable real-time linting for .gdp files |
generousDisposition.showStatusBar |
boolean |
true |
Show token count and score in status bar |
Snippets
The following snippet prefixes are available in .gdp files:
| Prefix |
Description |
gd-full |
Full prompt template with all blocks |
gd-intent |
INTENT block |
gd-why |
WHY block |
gd-for |
FOR block |
gd-context |
CONTEXT block |
gd-constraints |
CONSTRAINTS block |
gd-example |
EXAMPLE block |
gd-assumptions |
ASSUMPTIONS block |
gd-decompose |
DECOMPOSE block |
gd-coding |
Coding prompt template |
gd-debugging |
Debugging prompt template |
gd-research |
Research prompt template |
Sample Files
See the samples/ directory for example .gdp files:
coding.gdp — a coding task promptdebugging.gdp — a debugging task promptresearch.gdp — a research task prompt
INTENT: What you want built — include a deliverable noun
WHY: Business context or purpose
FOR: Audience and skill level
CONTEXT:
language: TypeScript
framework: NestJS
CONSTRAINTS:
format: single file
length: < 80 lines
EXAMPLE:
Expected output fragment
ASSUMPTIONS:
- Database is configured
- Auth middleware exists
DECOMPOSE:
task-1: Generate schema
task-2: Create controller
strategy: sequential
---
Freeform notes go below the separator.
INTENT is required; all other blocks are optional.- Use
--- to separate structured blocks from a freeform section.
Publishing
# Package as VSIX
npm run package
# Publish to Open VSX
npx ovsx publish generous-disposition-0.1.0.vsix
License
MIT
