Sidekick

Jump instantly between related files using deterministic heuristics.

Sidekick solves the "mental context switch" problem. You're working on a controller, and you know you need the service. Or the test file. Why search for it?

Sidekick finds the files you mentally expect to be there—instantly, without configuration, using smart naming conventions.

Features

🚀 Instant Navigation

Press Cmd+; (Mac) or Ctrl+; (Windows) to see related files immediately.

🧠 Smart Heuristics

Sidekick understands your codebase structure through:

• Stem Matching: User.tsx links to User.test.tsx, useUser.ts, User.module.css
• Import Scanning: Prioritizes files that are actually imported in your current file
• Role Awareness: Understands relationships like Controller ↔ Service ↔ Repository or Component ↔ Hook

📂 Sectioned Results

Don't see the exact match? Sidekick organizes valid fallbacks:

1. Related: High-confidence matches (same stem + heuristics)
2. Recent: Files you've jumped to recently (session history)
3. Same Folder: Other files in the directory (siblings)

⚡ Zero Latency

• First invocation: < 300ms (on large repos)
• Subsequent calls: < 50ms
• No background indexing, no massive memory usage.

Usage

1. Open any file (e.g., orders.controller.ts)
2. Press Cmd+; (Mac) or Ctrl+; (Win/Linux)
3. Select the file you want from the QuickPick list.

Pro Tip: Use Alt+Enter on a result to open it to the side!

Supported Languages & Patterns

Works out-of-the-box with:

• TypeScript/JavaScript: React, Angular, NestJS, Next.js, Vue, Svelte
• Backend Patterns: Controller/Service/Repo, DTOs, Entities
• Frontend Patterns: Components, Hooks, Styles, Tests, Stories
• Other Languages: Python, Go, Java, C#, Ruby, Rust

Extension Settings

None. Sidekick is "Zero Config" by design. It just works.

Installation

code --install-extension sidekick

Or search for Sidekick in the VS Code Marketplace.

Non-Features (By Design)

To ensure speed and simplicity, Sidekick intentionally excludes:

• ❌ AI / LLM integration
• ❌ Language Server Protocol (LSP) overhead
• ❌ AST parsing
• ❌ Persistent background indexing

Feedback

Found a pattern Sidekick missed? Open an issue on GitHub.

Enjoying Sidekick? Rate it on the Marketplace!