Terminal Automator

A VS Code extension that helps developers run and manage terminal commands directly from dedicated command files with status tracking.

Features

• Execute terminal commands from special .terminal files
• Track command execution status with visual indicators
• Expand environment variables within commands
• Define custom variables within the file for reuse
• Reusable command blocks: Define blocks and include them in other blocks with #include blockName

Usage

Create a file with the .terminal extension and structure it like this:

### $VARIABLES
API_URL=https://api.com

### Block 1
echo "I am Block 1"

### Block 2
#include bloque1
echo "I am in Block 2"

### Principal
#include Block 2
echo "End"

Click the "▶ Execute" CodeLens above any block to run it in the VS Code terminal. If a block contains #include blockName, the referenced block will be expanded and executed in sequence.

Variables

Terminal Automator supports both environment variables and custom variables defined within your file. All variables are expanded in included blocks as well.

Custom Variables

Define custom variables in a special section at the beginning of your file:

### $VARIABLES
api_version=v1
endpoint=users
query=name=john&active=true

Then use them in your commands:

### Hello
echo 'Hello from terminal'

Environment Variables

Terminal Automator supports various ways to use environment variables in your commands:

Supported Syntax

1. Process.env Style (recommended):

   {process.env.VARIABLE_NAME}
   

2. Shell Style with Braces:

   ${VARIABLE_NAME}
   

3. Simple Shell Style:

   $VARIABLE_NAME
   

Examples

Using Custom Variables, Includes, and Environment Variables

### $VARIABLES
endpoint=documents/generate
payload={"id": "12345"}

### api_call
curl --location '{process.env.BASE_URL}/${endpoint}' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '${payload}'

### main
#include api_call
echo "API call finished"

Database Query Example

### $VARIABLES
query=SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 10;

### db_query
psql -h {process.env.DB_HOST} -U ${DB_USER} -d $DB_NAME -c "${query}"

### main
#include db_query
echo "Query finished"

Environment Variable Helper

When your command contains environment variables, a "🔍 Get Env Var" CodeLens appears next to the Execute button. This helps with debugging when variables aren't expanding as expected.

Safety & Security

This extension only executes commands when explicitly triggered by the user - never automatically. All commands are executed in VS Code's integrated terminal with the same permissions as if you typed them manually.

If you include a block that does not exist, the extension will show an error and stop execution. Recursive includes are also detected and prevented.

We recommend reviewing all commands in .terminal files before execution, especially when working with files from external sources.

License

MIT