NewPlus VS Code Extension

A powerful VS Code extension that ports the functionality of the New+ PowerToy for creating files and folders from templates. NewPlus integrates seamlessly with VS Code's interface, providing context-aware template selection and workspace integration.

Features

🎯 Context-Aware Template Selection

Smart Suggestions: Templates are automatically filtered and prioritized based on your current context
Workspace Intelligence: Detects project types (Node.js, Python, etc.) and suggests relevant templates
File/Folder Context: Right-click in file explorer to get contextually appropriate templates

🚀 VS Code Integration

File Explorer Context Menu: Right-click on folders/files to create new content from templates
Command Palette: Access via New+ command from anywhere in VS Code
Progress Indication: Visual progress feedback for complex template creation
Workspace Detection: Automatically detects active workspace folders and project structure

📂 Template Management

File & Folder Templates: Support for both individual files and complete folder structures
Variable Substitution: Dynamic content with customizable variables
Recent Templates: Quick access to your most recently used templates
Template Categories: Organized template browsing with visual icons

⚡ Enhanced User Experience

Smart Name Suggestions: Context-aware default names for new files/folders
Validation: Real-time validation of file/folder names with helpful error messages
One-Click Actions: Quick open, reveal in explorer, or browse after creation
Error Handling: Comprehensive error messages with suggested solutions

Installation

Install from VS Code Marketplace (coming soon)
Or install from VSIX:
- Download the .vsix file
- Open VS Code
- Run Extensions: Install from VSIX... command
- Select the downloaded file

Usage

Creating from Templates

Right-click on any folder in the file explorer
Select "New+" from the context menu
Choose from contextually suggested templates
Enter a name and any required variables
Template is created and ready to use!

Method 2: Command Palette

Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
Type "New+" and select the command
Choose your template from the list
Follow the prompts to create your file/folder

Template Organization

Templates are stored in: %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Microsoft\\PowerToys\\NewPlus\\Templates

File Templates: Individual files with optional variable substitution

MyTemplate.txt

Folder Templates: Complete directory structures

ProjectTemplate/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts
├── tests/
│   └── example.test.ts
└── package.json

Variables

Templates support dynamic variables that are replaced during creation:

Built-in Variables

$DATE$ - Current date (YYYY-MM-DD)
$TIME$ - Current time (HH:MM:SS)
$YEAR$ - Current year
$MONTH$ - Current month
$DAY$ - Current day
$USERNAME$ - Current user name

Context Variables (Auto-populated)

$WORKSPACE_NAME$ - Name of the current workspace
$WORKSPACE_PATH$ - Path to the workspace root
$TARGET_DIR$ - Name of the target directory
$TARGET_PATH$ - Full path to the target directory

Custom Variables

Define custom variables in your templates:

// Template: Component-$COMPONENT_NAME$.tsx
import React from 'react';

interface $COMPONENT_NAME$Props {
  // Add your props here
}

export const $COMPONENT_NAME$: React.FC<$COMPONENT_NAME$Props> = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello from $COMPONENT_NAME$!</h1>
    </div>
  );
};

Configuration

The extension contributes the following settings:

`newFromTemplate.templatesPath`

Type: string
Default: %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Microsoft\\PowerToys\\NewPlus\\Templates
Description: Path to the templates directory

`newFromTemplate.display.hideFileExtensions`

Type: boolean
Default: true
Description: Hide file extensions in the template picker for cleaner display

`newFromTemplate.display.hideSortingPrefix`

Type: boolean
Default: false
Description: Hide leading digits and dots from template names (e.g., "01.MyTemplate" shows as "MyTemplate")

`newFromTemplate.behavior.replaceVariablesInFilename`

Type: boolean
Default: false
Description: Enable variable substitution in file and folder names

Commands

The extension provides the following commands:

newFromTemplate.createFromTemplate - New+: Create file/folder from template
newFromTemplate.openTemplatesFolder - New from Template: Open Templates Folder: Open the templates directory

The extension adds context menu items to the VS Code file explorer:

File Explorer → Right-click on folder → New+
File Menu → New File → New+

Context menu integration provides:

Smart Filtering: Only shows relevant templates for the selected location
Workspace Awareness: Considers project type and current workspace
Quick Access: One-click template creation from any folder

Workspace Integration

NewPlus automatically detects and integrates with your workspace:

Project Type Detection

Node.js: Detects package.json and suggests JavaScript/TypeScript templates
Python: Detects requirements.txt, setup.py and suggests Python templates
Java: Detects Maven/Gradle files and suggests Java templates
Generic: Fallback for unrecognized project types

Workspace Features

Multi-root Support: Works with multi-root workspaces
Active Editor Context: Uses currently active file location as context
Target Directory Resolution: Intelligently determines where to create new content

Development

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd new_plus_ext

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Run tests
npm test

# Package extension
vsce package

Project Structure

src/
├── commands/           # VS Code command implementations
├── models/            # Data models and interfaces  
├── services/          # Core business logic services
├── utils/             # Integration utilities
│   ├── workspaceIntegration.ts    # Workspace detection
│   └── contextMenuIntegration.ts  # Context menu logic
└── extension.ts       # Main extension entry point

tests/                 # Comprehensive test suite

Architecture

The extension follows a layered architecture:

Extension Layer: VS Code API integration and command registration
Service Layer: Core business logic (config, templates, variables)
Utilities Layer: VS Code-specific integration helpers
Model Layer: Data structures and interfaces

Requirements

VS Code: Version 1.74.0 or higher
Node.js: Version 16.0 or higher (for development)
Templates Directory: Writable access to the configured templates path

Known Issues

Template discovery may be slow for very large template directories (>1000 templates)
Variable substitution in binary files is not supported
Nested variable references have a recursion limit of 10 levels

Troubleshooting

Templates Not Found

Check the newFromTemplate.templatesPath setting
Ensure the templates directory exists and is readable
Verify templates follow the expected structure

Reload VS Code window (Developer: Reload Window)
Check that the extension is enabled
Verify you're right-clicking on folders (not files) in the file explorer

Variable Substitution Issues

Enable newFromTemplate.behavior.replaceVariablesInFilename for filename variables
Check variable syntax matches $VARIABLE_NAME$ format
Ensure custom variables are defined in template prompts

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for details.

Areas for Contribution

Additional template types and examples
Enhanced workspace detection for more project types
Improved variable substitution features
Better error handling and user feedback

License

MIT License

Acknowledgments

Based on the New+ PowerToy from Microsoft PowerToys
Inspired by the VS Code extension development community
Thanks to all contributors and users who provide feedback

Enjoy creating with NewPlus! 🚀

NewPlus

Jordan Haisley