Jira VS Code

Jira VS Code is an open-source Visual Studio Code extension that brings the essential Jira workflows directly into your editor. It provides reliable authentication for Jira Cloud and custom server deployments, a multi-view explorer for projects and issues, and quick actions like assigning tickets, updating status, and creating new tasks without leaving VS Code.

Features

• Projects View – Browse accessible Jira projects, focus a project for work, and refresh data with a single click.
• Items View – Displays the currently focused project's Jira issues grouped by status, with badges, an inline search/filter row for your recent items, and tree view actions that mirror VS Code's source control UX.
• Issue Details Panel – Open any ticket to view full metadata (including the rich-text description card), switch assignees, transition workflow status, and launch the issue in the browser.
• Inline Comments – Read the latest Jira comments (with wiki formatting), refresh the thread, add comments in wiki or plain text, and delete your own remarks without leaving VS Code.
• Ticket Creation – Use the + Ticket button to create new issues with summary, description, issue type, and starting status right from VS Code.
• Authentication Support – Works with Jira Cloud as well as custom Jira Server/Data Center deployments, storing tokens securely via VS Code's secret storage.

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies: npm install
2. Build: npm run compile (runs the esbuild bundler and outputs dist/extension.js)
3. Launch the extension:
   • Press F5 in VS Code to start a new Extension Development Host.
   • Open the "Jira" activity bar icon to access the Projects, Items, and Settings views.

Usage

Authenticating

• Run Jira: Log In from the Command Palette or click "Log in to Jira" in any view.
• Choose Jira Cloud or Server, provide your base URL, username/email, and API token/password.

Focusing Projects

• In the Projects view, click a project to focus it. The Items view automatically refreshes to show its backlog.
• Use the refresh icon to reload project listings, or Jira: Clear Project Focus to reset.

Working with Issues

• Issues appear grouped by status in the Items view. Selecting an item opens the details panel.
• Use the first "Search recent items" row in the Items view to filter your recent issues without leaving the tree.
• Change assignees by selecting a user and confirming with the OK button beside the dropdown in the details panel.
• Inside the panel you can:
  • Update status via the combobox (transitions are fetched from Jira).
  • Search for and assign the issue to other users (results fetch lazily on demand).
  • Review the formatted description card and refresh/open related issues.
  • Read, refresh, add, and delete Jira comments—choose between Jira wiki (full formatting) or plain text when posting.
  • Click "Open in Jira" to view the ticket in your browser.

Creating Tickets

• Click + Ticket in the Items view toolbar.
• Fill in the summary, description, issue type, and desired starting status, then submit.
• The new ticket is created via Jira's REST API, transitions to the requested status, and opens in the details view automatically.

Commands

HOWTO: First-Time Setup

If you're new to Jira VS Code, follow these steps to get from zero to productive:

1. Install and build

   • Clone the repo, run npm install, then npm run compile to generate dist/extension.js.

2. Start the Extension Development Host

   • In VS Code, press F5. A new window (Extension Development Host) opens with the extension loaded.

3. Open the Jira view

   • In the activity bar, click the Jira logo to reveal the Projects, Items, and Settings views in the side bar.

4. Authenticate

   • In the Settings view or Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P) run Jira: Log In.
   • Choose Jira Cloud or Server, enter your base URL, username/email, and API token/password. The extension stores credentials securely using VS Code's secret storage.

5. Focus a project

   • In the Projects view, click the project you want to work on. The Items view reloads to show that project's issues grouped by status.
   • You can switch between “Recent” and “All” projects via the context commands at the top of the view if needed.

6. Explore issues

   • Use the Items view to browse issues; the inline “Search recent items” row lets you filter your own tickets quickly.
   • Select an issue to open the details panel. There you can review the description, related issues, comments, and metadata without leaving VS Code.

7. Update work

   • Change status from the dropdown, reassign tickets, add or delete comments, and click “Open in Jira” for the full web experience if necessary.
   • Use Jira: Commit From Issue (context menu) to prefill your SCM commit message with the issue key.

8. Create new tickets

   • Press the + Ticket button in the Items view toolbar, fill in the form (summary, description, type, status), and submit. The new issue opens automatically in the details panel.

9. Stay in sync

   • Use the refresh icons on Projects or Items (or the matching commands) to reload data.
   • If you need to log out, run Jira: Log Out; the extension clears stored secrets and cached project data.

Following this checklist ensures new users authenticate, focus a project, and start updating or creating Jira issues directly from VS Code within minutes.

Development

This extension is written in TypeScript. Key entry points:

• src/extension.ts – Activation, tree providers, commands, and webview wiring.
• dist/extension.js – Compiled output loaded by VS Code (generated via npm run compile).

When contributing:

1. Make sure to run npm run compile.
2. Test flows in the Extension Development Host.
3. Update the changelog when changes are user-visible.

Packaging & Bundling

• The extension is bundled with esbuild so that runtime dependencies are inlined and the marketplace payload stays small. npm run compile handles bundling for both development builds and publishing.
• Packaging for VS Code (vsce package) automatically honors .vscodeignore, which excludes TypeScript sources, node_modules, and other development artifacts for smaller .vsix files. For more guidance, see aka.ms/vscode-bundle-extension.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.