Snowflake DataOps Assistant (VS Code Extension)

🚀 What is this?

This is a Visual Studio Code extension that helps Data Engineers automate and manage their Snowflake infrastructure using Terraform. It integrates with Slack for alerts, GitHub Actions for CI/CD, and Snowflake (using a free trial account).

🧩 How does it work?

Typical workflow:

1. You launch the extension in VS Code.
2. You choose a Snowflake resource (like a database or warehouse) to provision.
3. The extension generates Terraform configuration files for your selection.
4. It commits and pushes these files to your GitHub repository.
5. GitHub Actions automatically deploys the Terraform code to provision Snowflake infrastructure.
6. Slack receives a notification about the deployment status.

📁 Project Structure

``` snowflake-vscode-extension/ ├── src/ │ ├── extension.ts # Main VS Code extension logic │ ├── terraform-generator.ts # Generates Terraform files │ ├── github-trigger.ts # Calls GitHub Actions via API │ └── slack.ts # Sends Slack webhooks ├── templates/ │ └── database.tf # Terraform templates ├── .github/workflows/ │ └── deploy_snowflake_infra.yml # GitHub Action to apply Terraform ├── package.json # Project metadata and dependencies ├── tsconfig.json # TypeScript configuration └── README.md # Project documentation ```

📦 What does each file do?

• src/extension.ts
  Entry point for your extension. Registers commands and UI in VS Code.

• src/terraform-generator.ts
  Contains logic to generate Terraform configuration files based on user input.

• src/github-trigger.ts
  Handles triggering GitHub Actions workflows via API calls.

• src/slack.ts
  Sends notifications to Slack channels using webhooks.

• templates/database.tf
  Example Terraform template for provisioning a Snowflake database.

• .github/workflows/deploy.yml
  GitHub Actions workflow file that runs Terraform to deploy infrastructure when changes are pushed.

• package.json
  Describes your extension, lists dependencies, and defines commands/scripts.

• tsconfig.json
  Configures TypeScript for compiling your extension code.

• README.md
  This documentation file.

🛠️ How do I use or develop this extension?

1. Clone the repository
   git clone <your-repo-url>

2. Install dependencies
   npm install

3. Open in VS Code
   Open the folder in VS Code.

4. Build the extension
   npm run compile

5. Select your environment file

   • Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), type Select Environment File, and choose your .env file.
   • This allows you to use different environment configurations (such as Slack webhook URLs) without changing code.

6. Run and test

   • Press F5 in VS Code to launch a new Extension Development Host window.
   • Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), type “Activate Snowflake DataOps Assistant”, and run it.
   • Select a Snowflake resource to manage.
   • The extension will generate a Terraform config file, save it to your workspace, and (optionally) send a Slack notification.

7. Edit and extend

   • Modify files in src/ to add features or change behavior.
   • Use the Command Palette to select different .env files as needed.

🚀 How to Deploy and Install the Extension

1. Build the Extension

   npm install
   npm run compile
   

2. Test Locally (Development Mode)

   • Press F5 in VS Code.
   • This launches a new Extension Development Host window for testing.

3. Package the Extension

   • Install VSCE if you haven't:

     npm install -g vsce
     

   • Package your extension:

     vsce package
     

   • This creates a .vsix file in your project folder.

4. Install the Packaged Extension

   • In VS Code, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
   • Type Extensions: Install from VSIX...
   • Select your .vsix file to install.

5. (Optional) Publish to the Marketplace

   • Follow VS Code publishing docs to publish your extension for others to use.

Summary:

• Build and test with F5.
• Package with vsce package.
• Install with Extensions: Install from VSIX....
• (Optional)

🛠️ Development Steps & Reference

1. Create a feature branch

git checkout -b feature/extension-bootstrap

• Start all new work in a feature branch for better code management and collaboration.

2. Implement extension activation and command registration

• Edited src/extension.ts to register the snowflakeDataOps.activate command.
• The command shows a message when triggered, confirming the extension is active.

3. Scaffold resource selection UI

• Added a Quick Pick menu in src/extension.ts for selecting Snowflake resources (Database, Warehouse, Schema).
• This lets users choose which resource to manage.

4. Generate Terraform configuration

• Created src/terraform-generator.ts to generate Terraform code for the selected resource.
• Integrated the generateTerraform function in the command handler to produce the correct config.

5. Save generated Terraform config to workspace

• Used Node.js fs and path modules to write the generated config as <resource>.tf in the workspace root.
• Automatically opens the new file in VS Code for review.

6. Scaffold commit and push to GitHub

• Created src/github-trigger.ts with a placeholder commitAndPushTerraform function.
• Called this function after saving the Terraform file, preparing for future automation of git operations.

7. Compile TypeScript code

npm run compile

• This generates the out/extension.js file required by VS Code.

8. Run and test the extension

• Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host.
• Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), type “Activate Snowflake DataOps Assistant”, and run it.
• Confirm that the message and resource selection UI appear, and that the Terraform file is generated and opened.

9. Automate commit and push to GitHub

• Implemented commitAndPushTerraform in src/github-trigger.ts to run git add, git commit, and git push for the generated Terraform file.
• This enables automatic deployment triggers via GitHub Actions.

10. Send Slack notifications

• Created src/slack.ts to send messages to a Slack channel using a webhook.
• Called sendSlackNotification after saving the Terraform file to notify about the action.

11. Allow users to select an environment file via the extension UI

• Added a new command (snowflakeDataOps.selectEnvFile) to let users pick a .env file using a file picker dialog in VS Code.
• The selected .env file is loaded using dotenv.config({ path }), making its environment variables available to the extension.
• If the user does not select a file, the extension tries to load .env from the workspace root by default.
• This makes it easy to switch between different environment configurations without editing code.

How to use:

1. Run the command "Select Environment File" from the Command Palette.
2. Pick your desired .env file.
3. The extension will use variables from the selected file (e.g., SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL).

Tip:
Keep your .env files out of version control by adding .env to your .gitignore.

### Workspace Setup Checklist

Before using the extension, ensure your workspace contains:

• .env file with SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL
• provider.tf with Snowflake provider configuration
• variables.tf defining required variables
• terraform.tfvars with your Snowflake credentials and region

The extension will check for these files and variables before allowing you to create Snowflake resources.

Add each new step here as you build more features!