Spec Trace

Spec Trace is a VS Code web extension for working inside a repository that stores canonical Spec Trace artifacts.

The current preview focuses on two high-value surfaces:

• A repository explorer that groups Spec Trace artifacts by category and domain.
• A dense custom editor for specification JSON files, optimized for scanning many requirements and opening one requirement into a focused editing screen.

Current Preview

This extension is still in preview. The custom editor and repository explorer are working, but the marketplace metadata and publication pipeline are still being finalized.

Features

Repository explorer

• Adds a dedicated Spec Trace activity bar container.
• Groups artifacts into:
  • Specifications
  • Architectural Views
  • Work Items
  • Verification Documents
• Expands specification files into individual requirement nodes.
• Opens specification JSON files in the custom editor.
• Reveals a specific requirement directly from the tree.

Dense specification editor

• Opens specs/requirements/**/*.json files in a custom editor.
• Uses the shared @incursa/ui-kit surface rather than ad hoc HTML.
• Starts in a browse-first requirement index instead of a noisy card grid.
• Supports search plus All, Issues, Missing, Partial, and Covered filters.
• Opens a requirement into a focused detail screen for editing.
• Supports previous and next requirement navigation while staying in the detail screen.
• Persists browse and edit state in the webview during reloads.

Screenshots

Requirement index

Filtered requirement browse view

Focused requirement detail

Workspace Expectations

The extension assumes a Spec Trace-style repository layout. The current explorer and custom editor are built around paths like:

specs/
  requirements/<domain>/*.json
  architecture/<domain>/*.md
  work-items/<domain>/*.md
  verification/<domain>/*.md

Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

Run the main verification pass:

npm test

Run only the browser smoke coverage for the custom editor UI:

npm run test:webview

Run the extension in a browser-hosted development session:

npm run run-in-browser

Known Gaps Before Marketplace Release

• The release packaging and publish flow still need a Marketplace PAT and the final publish step.
• The extension is still marked as preview while the surface matures.

Release Notes

See CHANGELOG.md.