Need to quickly check string length, character indices, or ASCII values? StringScope provides instant string analysis right in your VS Code/Cursor status bar with detailed character information at your fingertips!

What is StringScope?

StringScope is a lightweight extension that helps you analyze selected text strings in real-time. Whether you're debugging string operations, working with character encodings, or just need to know the exact length of a string, StringScope displays all the information you need directly in your status bar.

Why Use StringScope?

• Instant Feedback: See string length immediately when you select text
• Character Details: Click to view comprehensive character information including index positions, ASCII values, and Unicode code points
• Works Everywhere: Works with any text selection - regular text, multiline strings, or any characters
• No Configuration: Works out of the box with zero setup required
• Clean UI: Status bar indicator only appears when you need it

Getting Started

Installation

1. Open VS Code/Cursor
2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "StringScope"
4. Click Install

First Steps

1. Select Some Text: Highlight any text in your editor
2. See the Length: Look at the bottom-right corner of VS Code (status bar) - you'll see StringScope: [length]
3. View Details: Click on the status bar indicator to see detailed character information
4. Explore: Try selecting different types of text:
   • Regular text: Hello World
   • Code snippets: const x = 42;
   • Multiline selections

How It Works

Status Bar Indicator

When you select text in your editor, StringScope automatically:

• Shows the total selection length in the status bar
• Treats every character equally (quotes, spaces, symbols - all counted)
• Hides automatically when nothing is selected

Character Details Dialog

Click the status bar indicator to open a detailed character analysis dialog showing:

1. Index Position: Each character's position (0-based)
2. Display Character: The character itself (with special symbols for control characters)
3. ASCII Value: ASCII code for ASCII characters
4. Unicode Code Point: Unicode value in U+XXXX format
5. Character Name: Human-readable name (Space, Line Feed, Printable ASCII, etc.)
6. Decimal Value: Character code in decimal
7. Hexadecimal Value: Character code in hexadecimal (0xXX)

Special Character Display

StringScope uses special symbols to visualize control characters:

• Space: ␣
• Newline: ↵
• Tab: ⇥
• Null: ␀
• Non-printable: [code]

Example

Select the text Hello and you'll see:

• Status bar shows: StringScope: 5
• Click to see:
  • 0: H → ASCII: 72 | U+0048 → Printable ASCII | Decimal: 72 | Hex: 0x48
  • 1: e → ASCII: 101 | U+0065 → Printable ASCII | Decimal: 101 | Hex: 0x65
  • 2: l → ASCII: 108 | U+006C → Printable ASCII | Decimal: 108 | Hex: 0x6C
  • 3: l → ASCII: 108 | U+006C → Printable ASCII | Decimal: 108 | Hex: 0x6C
  • 4: o → ASCII: 111 | U+006F → Printable ASCII | Decimal: 111 | Hex: 0x6F

Tips & Tricks

• Quick Length Check: Just select text to instantly see its length - no need to count characters manually
• Debugging Strings: Use character details to debug string encoding issues or verify special characters
• Multiline Support: Works perfectly with multiline strings - select across multiple lines to see the full length
• Keyboard Selection: Works with both mouse selection and keyboard selection (Shift+Arrow keys)
• Any Text: Works with any text selection - code, comments, strings, or plain text

Use Cases

• String Length Verification: Quickly verify string lengths during development
• Character Encoding Debugging: Check ASCII and Unicode values when debugging encoding issues
• String Manipulation: Understand exact character positions when working with string operations
• Code Review: Verify string lengths and character composition during code reviews
• Learning: Explore character encodings and Unicode values interactively

Support the Project

If StringScope has made your development workflow easier, consider supporting (No Pressure):

Need Help?

• Technical Documentation: See Technical Documentation for developers
• Process Documentation: See Process Documentation for development workflows
• Issues: Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue on GitHub
• Questions: Check the documentation or open a discussion

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - feel free to use it however you'd like!

Made with ❤️ by Gobinda Nandi