Persistent Highlighter

A Visual Studio Code extension that allows you to permanently highlight text in your code.

Get started in Persistent Highlighter

Features

• Multi-Language Support: Now supports Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other non-English text highlighting
• Persistent Highlighting: Highlights are saved and will reappear when you reopen the file.
• Smart Word Boundary Detection: Automatic language detection with appropriate boundary matching for accurate highlighting.
• Multiple Colors: Use a variety of colors to highlight different terms.
• 25 Built-in Colors: Choose from 25 carefully selected built-in colors.
• 18 Preset Colors: Quick access to 18 curated preset colors in the custom color picker.
• Custom Color Support: Use any hex color code for personalized highlighting.
• Color Selection UI: Easy-to-use color picker for both built-in and custom colors.
• Tree View Sidebar: Manage all your highlights in a dedicated sidebar view.
• Cross-Session Persistence: Highlights persist across VS Code sessions.
• Case Sensitive Matching: Optional case-sensitive search for highlights.
• Large File Optimization: Intelligent performance optimization for large files.
• Caching System: Efficient caching mechanism for improved performance.
• Easy to Use: Simple commands to add, remove, toggle, and manage highlights.
• Right-Click Context Menu: Quick access to highlighting operations directly from the editor context menu.

Commands

• Persistent Highlighter: Add Highlight: Adds a highlight to the selected text or the word under the cursor.
• Persistent Highlighter: Add Custom Color Highlight: Adds a highlight with a custom color chosen from 25 built-in colors or a custom hex color.
• Persistent Highlighter: Remove Highlight: Removes a highlight from the selected text or the word under the cursor.
• Persistent Highlighter: Toggle Highlight: Toggles the highlight for the selected text or the word under the cursor.
• Persistent Highlighter: Jump to Next Highlight: Navigate to the next highlight in the current file.
• Persistent Highlighter: Jump to Previous Highlight: Navigate to the previous highlight in the current file.
• Persistent Highlighter: Clear All Highlights: Removes all highlights from all files.
• Persistent Highlighter: Refresh: Refresh the highlights tree view.
• Persistent Highlighter: Jump to Highlight: Navigate to a specific highlight in the current file.
• Persistent Highlighter: Edit Highlight: Modify the text of an existing highlight.

Installation

1. Open Visual Studio Code.
2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
3. Search for "Persistent Highlighter" and click "Install".
4. Reload Visual Studio Code.

Usage

Basic Usage

1. Select the text you want to highlight or place the cursor on a word.
2. Open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
3. Run one of the Persistent Highlighter commands.

Custom Color Usage

1. Select the text you want to highlight.
2. Run Persistent Highlighter: Add Custom Color Highlight.
3. Choose from 18 preset colors or select "Custom Color".
4. If choosing custom color, enter a hex color code (e.g., #FF5733).
5. The highlight will be applied with your chosen color.

Preset Colors: Coral, Turquoise, Sky Blue, Mint, Light Yellow, Plum, Seafoam, Golden, Lavender, Light Blue, Apricot, Light Green, Salmon, Light Purple, Pale Green, Peach, Pale Blue, Rose

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Shift+F1: Toggle highlight

Right-Click Context Menu

You can now access highlighting operations directly from the editor's right-click context menu:

1. Right-click on selected text or a word in the editor
2. Choose from the available highlighting options:
   • Add Highlight: Add a highlight with default color
   • Remove Highlight: Remove existing highlight
   • Toggle Highlight: Toggle highlight on/off
   • Add Custom Color Highlight: Add highlight with custom color

Note: Context menu can be configured in VS Code settings:

• persistent-highlighter.enableContextMenu: Enable/disable context menu (default: true)
• persistent-highlighter.contextMenuCollapsed: Show as submenu or direct items (default: false)

Sidebar Management

1. Open the Explorer sidebar (Ctrl+Shift+E).
2. Find the "Highlights" section at the bottom.
3. Use the tree view to:
   • See all highlighted terms across all files
   • Jump to specific highlights
   • Edit highlight text
   • Remove individual highlights
   • Clear all highlights at once

Configuration

The extension provides several configuration options to customize behavior:

Search Settings

• persistent-highlighter.caseSensitive: Enable case-sensitive matching for highlights (default: false)

Context Menu Settings

• persistent-highlighter.enableContextMenu: Enable right-click context menu for highlighting (default: true)
• persistent-highlighter.contextMenuCollapsed: Collapse context menu submenus by default (default: false)

To modify these settings, go to VS Code Settings and search for "Persistent Highlighter".

Preset Color Palette

The extension offers 18 carefully selected preset colors:

• Coral (#FF6B6B)
• Turquoise (#4ECDC4)
• Sky Blue (#45B7D1)
• Mint (#96CEB4)
• Light Yellow (#FFEAA7)
• Plum (#DDA0DD)
• Seafoam (#98D8C8)
• Golden (#F7DC6F)
• Lavender (#BB8FCE)
• Light Blue (#85C1E9)
• Apricot (#F8C471)
• Light Green (#82E0AA)
• Salmon (#F1948A)
• Light Purple (#D7BDE2)
• Pale Green (#A9DFBF)
• Peach (#FAD7A0)
• Pale Blue (#AED6F1)
• Rose (#F5B7B1)

Recent Updates

Version 0.1.0

• Major Code Quality Improvements:
  • Applied Clean Code principles throughout the entire codebase
  • Eliminated approximately 75 lines of duplicate code through method extraction
  • Reduced total code by 15 lines while improving maintainability
  • Extracted MAX_REGEX_MATCHES constant to eliminate magic numbers
  • Removed duplicate isTermInFile method, now using shared EditorUtils implementation
  • Extracted executeRegexWithSafety method to eliminate duplicate regex matching logic
  • Unified color key generation logic in DecoratorManager
  • Extracted getCommandConfig method to separate command configuration from registration
  • Extracted getColorPickerOptions method to separate color options from picker logic
  • Removed redundant HighlightTerm interface, now using HighlightedTerm from types
• TypeScript Modernization:
  • Upgraded TypeScript target from ES2020 to ES2023
  • Used TypeScript private fields (#) syntax for better encapsulation in HighlightManager
  • Simplified code with optional chaining and nullish coalescing operators
  • Replaced manual loops with findLast for cleaner, more efficient code
  • Improved type safety with at() method for array access
• Test Coverage:
  • All 68 unit tests passing
  • Added MockDecorationType class for testing decoration lifecycle
  • Improved test error handling for VS Code decoration types
  • Enhanced test reliability with proper mock implementations
• Performance Optimizations:
  • Improved regex matching with centralized safety checks
  • Better memory management with proper resource disposal
  • Optimized decoration type creation and caching
• Documentation:
  • Updated README with comprehensive version history
  • Enhanced architecture documentation with new class details
  • Documented Clean Code principles application

Version 0.0.17

• Bug Fixes - Memory Management:
  • Fixed memory leak in HighlightManager by adding proper dispose() method
  • Fixed event listener memory leak in HighlightsTreeProvider
  • Ensured all decoration types are properly released on extension deactivation
• Bug Fixes - Race Conditions:
  • Added document version checking in updateDecorations() to prevent race conditions
  • Improved handling of concurrent document modifications
• Bug Fixes - Type Safety:
  • Added null checks for customColor properties to prevent runtime crashes
  • Improved getCustomColorKey() to return string | null with proper validation
  • Enhanced input validation in validateActiveEditor() with document existence check
• Bug Fixes - Infinite Loop Prevention:
  • Added match count limits for regex operations to prevent infinite loops
  • Improved lastIndex handling for zero-width matches
  • Added safety checks for regex operations in all matching loops
• Unit Testing Enhancements:
  • Added comprehensive tests for dispose() methods
  • Added tests for type safety and null handling
  • Added tests for infinite loop prevention
  • Added tests for edge cases in input validation
  • Added tests for event listener cleanup

Version 0.0.16

• Unit Testing Infrastructure: Added comprehensive unit testing framework with Mocha and VS Code Test Electron
• Enhanced Unicode Text Processing: Implemented Unicode-aware text comparison using localeCompare for better international character support
• Memory Management: Added decorator cleanup logic in removeHighlight and clearAllHighlights to prevent memory leaks
• Improved Regex Support: Enhanced createHighlightRegex with Unicode property escapes (\p{L}) and fallback support
• Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed jumpToHighlight range calculation using proper start/end positions
  • Improved case-insensitive comparison for non-English text
  • Added input validation in createHighlightRegex function
• Build System: Suppressed Node.js deprecation warnings during packaging with cross-env
• Code Quality: Exported core classes and functions for better testability and modular design

Version 0.0.15

• Code Refactoring and Cleanup: Streamlined codebase architecture for better maintainability and performance
• Enhanced Build Scripts: Updated build process with rimraf dependency for cleaner compilation
• Improved File Structure: Optimized .vscodeignore and project file organization
• Development Environment: Enhanced development workflow and build automation
• Performance Optimizations: Internal code improvements for better extension performance

Version 0.0.14

• Fixed Highlight Display After Selection: Resolved issue where highlights would not properly display after text selection operations
• Improved Toggle Behavior: Enhanced highlight toggle functionality to prioritize removing highlights over adding new ones for better user experience
• Code Quality Improvements: Fixed linting issues and improved overall code maintainability
• Better User Feedback: Improved interaction feedback for highlight operations

Version 0.0.13

• Fixed Highlight Display Issues: Resolved critical problems with highlight positioning after file modifications, including issues when adding spaces or making small text changes
• Simplified Update Logic: Removed complex incremental update algorithm that was causing highlight misalignment, replaced with reliable full-document updates
• Enhanced Stability: Eliminated race conditions and offset calculation errors that were causing highlights to shift incorrectly after text edits
• Code Cleanup: Removed redundant updateDecorationsIncremental method for cleaner, more maintainable codebase
• Improved User Experience: Highlights now remain correctly positioned regardless of text modifications, edits, or insertions
• Better Performance: Streamlined update process reduces computational overhead while maintaining accuracy

Version 0.0.12

• Multi-Language Support: Now supports highlighting non-English text including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Unicode characters
• Improved Word Boundary Detection: Enhanced regex pattern matching for better accuracy with mixed-language content
• Smart Boundary Recognition: Automatically detects text language and applies appropriate boundary matching
• Backward Compatibility: English text highlighting continues to work exactly as before

Version 0.0.11

• Right-Click Context Menu: Add context menu support for quick highlighting operations
• Context Menu Configuration: Add settings to enable/disable and customize context menu behavior
• Improved User Experience: Direct access to highlighting features from editor context menu
• Submenu Support: Optional collapsed submenu mode for cleaner context menu organization

Version 0.0.9

• Update version to 0.0.9: Keep project version up to date
• Fix invalid highlight text provided issue: Prevents adding empty or whitespace-only highlights
• Remove redundant clearAllFromTreeCommand: Streamlined command list for clarity
• Update gitignore and vscodeignore: Keep project files clean and optimized

Version 0.0.7

• Jump to Next/Previous Highlight: Add new command for navigation between highlights
• Cyclic Navigation: Highlights cycle through the file when reaching end/beginning
• Case-sensitive Support: Navigation respects the case-sensitive configuration setting
• Improved User Experience: Seamless highlight navigation with appropriate warning messages

Version 0.0.6

• Fixed greedy matching issue: Highlights now use whole-word matching with proper word boundaries
• Improved search accuracy: Enhanced jumpToHighlight function to use whole-word matching
• Better text matching: Fixed issue where partial word matches were incorrectly highlighted
• Performance maintained: All optimizations and caching systems remain intact

Version 0.0.5

• Added intelligent caching system for improved performance
• Implemented large file optimization with configurable chunk processing
• Added case-sensitive matching option
• Enhanced custom color picker with 18 preset colors
• Improved sidebar tree view with better highlight management
• Added incremental document change processing

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 16 or higher)
• Visual Studio Code
• TypeScript

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jsfaint/persistent-highlighter.git
cd persistent-highlighter

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Run in development mode (watch)
npm run watch

# Run linting
npm run lint

# Run unit tests
npm run test

# Compile test code
npm run compile:test

# Watch mode for test code
npm run watch:test

# Clean build output
npm run clean

# Package extension
npm run package

Architecture

The extension uses a comprehensive architecture with:

• HighlightManager class: Central manager for all highlighting operations with caching support and TypeScript private fields
• HighlightsTreeProvider class: Manages the sidebar tree view for highlight management with proper event listener cleanup
• DecoratorManager class: Handles all text decoration creation, application, and disposal with unified color key generation
• EditorUtils class: Provides shared utility functions for editor operations, including regex matching with safety checks
• RegexCache class: Singleton pattern for caching regex expressions with FIFO eviction policy and lastIndex reset
• ColorUtils class: Handles color conversion and validation operations
• Unit Testing: Comprehensive test suite using Mocha framework with VS Code Test Electron (68 tests, all passing)
• VS Code API integration: Uses TextEditorDecorationType for rendering highlights
• State persistence: Uses globalState to store highlights across sessions
• Event-driven updates: Listens to document changes, active editor changes, and configuration changes
• Performance optimization: Intelligent caching, large file handling, and regex safety limits (MAX_REGEX_MATCHES)
• Custom color management: Dynamic decoration type creation for custom colors with proper disposal
• Memory management: Automatic decorator cleanup and proper resource disposal
• Unicode support: Advanced text comparison using localeCompare for international characters
• Code quality: Follows Clean Code principles with minimal code duplication and clear separation of concerns
• Modern TypeScript: Uses ES2023 features and private field syntax for better encapsulation

License

This project is open source. Please see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Welcome to submit Issues and Pull Requests!

Links

• VS Code Marketplace: Persistent Highlighter
• GitHub Repository: jsfaint/persistent-highlighter
• Issue Reporting: GitHub Issues

⭐ If this extension helps you, please consider giving us a five-star rating on the VS Code Marketplace!