Shadow Comments

[!IMPORTANT] This extension has been replaced by Vibe Notes

Shadow Comments is now Vibe Notes with improved features and better branding. Please install the new extension for continued support and updates.

Install Vibe Notes

Keep private code comments that live in the shadows - never touching your source files or git history. Perfect for personal notes, code reviews, and AI-assisted coding workflows.

Features

• Add Comments to Lines: Right-click on any line or selection to add a comment
• Visual Indicators: See comment indicators in the editor gutter with a blue "C" icon
• Inline Actions: Edit or delete comments directly with CodeLens buttons above commented lines
• Comments Tree View: Browse all comments in a dedicated side panel organized by file
• Multiple Export Formats: Copy comments as raw text, markdown, or JSON
• Auto-sync: Comments are automatically saved to .local.comments.txt
• Hover Support: Hover over comment indicators to see the comment content
• Click to Navigate: Click on comments in the tree view to jump to their location

Usage

Adding Comments

1. Select a line or range of lines in your code
2. Right-click and select "Add Comment to Line"
3. Enter your comment in the dialog box

Editing/Deleting Comments

You can edit or delete comments in two ways:

Method 1: CodeLens (Inline Actions)

• Look for the Edit and Delete buttons that appear above lines with comments
• Click "Edit" to modify the comment text
• Click "Delete" to remove the comment (with confirmation)

Method 2: Right-click Menu

1. Place your cursor on a line that has a comment (indicated by blue "C" icon)
2. Right-click to open the context menu
3. Select "Edit Comment" to modify the comment text
4. Select "Delete Comment" to remove the comment (with confirmation)

Viewing Comments

• Comments are indicated by a blue "C" icon in the editor gutter
• Hover over the icon to see the comment content
• Access the Comments Tree View from the Activity Bar (Shadow Comments icon)
• Tree view shows all comments organized by file
• Click on any comment to navigate to its location in the code

Exporting Comments

You can export comments in three ways:

1. Quick Actions: Use the icon buttons in the Comments tree view title bar:

   • 🔄 Refresh - Reload comments from file
   • 📄 Open File - Open .local.comments.txt in editor
   • ☁️ Sync to Git - Save comments to git notes
   • 📄 Copy as Raw
   • 📝 Copy as Markdown
   • {} Copy as JSON

2. Command Palette: Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P and use:

   • Copy Comments as Raw: Copy the raw .local.comments.txt content
   • Copy Comments as Markdown: Copy formatted markdown with clickable links
   • Copy Comments as JSON: Copy comments as JSON structure

Git Notes Integration

You can sync your comments to Git Notes for permanent storage in your repository:

1. Click the ☁️ "Sync to Git" button in the Comments tree view
2. Comments are saved to the current HEAD commit's git notes
3. Share with team using git push --push-notes
4. View notes with git notes show

Storage Format

Comments are stored in .local.comments.txt in your workspace root:

src/extension.ts#L7 "Make this function name simpler and clearer"
src/extension.ts#L7,10 "Column 10 needs attention"
src/extension.ts#L13-15 "These comments are unnecessary.\nPlease remove them."
src/extension.ts#L7,10-8,12 "This range needs refactoring"
src/test/extension.test.ts#L11 "Please add an explanation."

Format: filepath#L<line>[,<column>][-<endline>[,<endcolumn>]] "comment"

• Column positions are optional
• Single line: #L7 or #L7,10
• Line range: #L13-15
• Range with columns: #L7,10-8,12

Markdown Output Example

When copying as markdown, you get formatted output with clickable links:

## [src/extension.ts](https://github.com/hatappo/vscode-extension-vibe-notes/blob/HEAD/src/extension.ts)

### [line: 7](https://github.com/hatappo/vscode-extension-vibe-notes/blob/HEAD/src/extension.ts#L7)

Make this function name simpler and clearer

### [line: 7:10](https://github.com/hatappo/vscode-extension-vibe-notes/blob/HEAD/src/extension.ts#L7)

Column 10 needs attention

### [line: 13-15](https://github.com/hatappo/vscode-extension-vibe-notes/blob/HEAD/src/extension.ts#L13)

These comments are unnecessary.
Please remove them.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.102.0 or higher

Extension Settings

Currently, this extension does not contribute any settings. Future versions may include:

• Custom memo file location
• Comment indicator styles
• Enable/disable features

Known Issues

• No markdown preview panel (planned feature)

Release Notes

0.0.1

Initial release with core functionality:

• Add comments via context menu
• Edit/Delete comments via context menu
• Display comment indicators in editor
• Comments tree view in side panel
• Copy comments in multiple formats (Raw/Markdown/JSON)
• File watching for automatic updates
• Support for #L notation with optional column positions
• Git Notes integration for permanent storage

Notes

• The .local.comments.txt file is automatically added to .gitignore
• Comments support multi-line text with \n escaping
• File paths in markdown output are clickable links for easy navigation

Enjoy!