Chevron Lists
The markdown list manager you didn't know VS Code was missing.
Chevron Lists turns VS Code into a fully-featured task, notes, and project management system — without leaving markdown. It uses a clean, readable >> - blockquote syntax and layers on 250+ commands, live decorations, autocomplete, and AI assistance — all zero-config out of the box.
749 unit tests · 100% line coverage · 250 commands · 66 test files
Why Chevron Lists?
Plain markdown is great for writing. It's not great for managing work. Chevron Lists bridges that gap:
| Plain markdown problem |
Chevron Lists solution |
No task tracking beyond - [ ] |
Priorities !!!, tags #urgent, votes +5, ratings ★4 |
| Can't filter or jump between ideas |
30+ filter/search commands with instant quick-pick |
| No project structure |
Sections, groups, links [[Section]], dependencies |
| No time awareness |
Due dates, overdue warnings, estimates ~2h, daily notes |
| Decorations? What decorations? |
Live sparklines, progress bars, heat maps, urgency tints |
| AI assist requires switching apps |
Built-in Claude AI: suggest, expand, summarise, rewrite |
Syntax at a Glance
> Project Alpha ← section header
>> - !!! Fix critical bug #backend ← urgent, tagged
>> - [ ] Write tests @2026-04-15 ~2h ← due date + estimate
>> - [x] Deploy to staging +3 ← done, 3 votes
>> 1. Step one ← numbered item
>>> - Nested sub-task ← deep nesting
Everything is plain markdown — readable anywhere, Git-diff friendly, no lock-in.
Quick Start
- Install the extension
- Open any
.md file
- Type
> and a section name, press Enter
- Start typing items — Enter continues the list, Tab nests deeper
Type CL: in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) to explore 250+ commands.
Item Markers
Add any of these directly in item content — they're parsed live:
| Marker |
Example |
What it does |
[ ] / [x] |
>> - [x] Done |
Checkboxes |
#tag |
>> - Deploy #backend |
Tags (autocomplete from file) |
! !! !!! |
>> - !!! Critical |
Priority (yellow/amber/red bg) |
@YYYY-MM-DD |
>> - Ship @2026-04-01 |
Due date (overdue warnings) |
~2h / ~30m |
>> - Setup ~2h |
Time estimate |
+N |
>> - Great idea +5 |
Vote count |
[[SectionName]] |
>> - See [[Act Two]] |
Section link (hover preview) |
★N |
>> - ★4 great idea |
Star rating 1–5 |
@created:YYYY-MM-DD |
>> - task @created:2026-01-01 |
Creation date stamp |
@expires:YYYY-MM-DD |
>> - offer @expires:2026-12-31 |
Expiry date |
{red} {green} etc. |
>> - {red} blocked |
Colour label |
[LABEL] |
>> - [ACTION] fix it |
Square bracket label (gold) |
// note |
>> - Deploy // check DNS first |
Inline comment (muted) |
~~text~~ |
>> - ~~cancelled~~ |
Strikethrough |
? |
>> - ? unclear spec |
Question flag |
Section Syntax
| Syntax |
Example |
Feature |
==N |
> Docs ==500 |
Word count goal |
>> -- Name |
>> -- Act One |
Group divider |
>> [locked] |
>> [locked] |
Lock section (save warns) |
>> [frozen] |
>> [frozen] |
Freeze section |
>>depends:Name |
>>depends:Phase One |
Dependency marker |
Smart Keyboard Behaviour
| Key |
What happens |
Enter after > Header |
Starts a >> - item, triggers autocomplete |
Enter on empty >> - |
Stops the list (no trailing empties) |
Enter after >> N. |
Auto-increments to next number |
| Enter mid-line |
Splits item at cursor |
| Tab on item |
Promotes depth >> - → >>> -, shifts children |
| Shift+Tab |
Demotes depth, shifts children |
| Ctrl+Alt+Down/Up |
Jump to next/previous section header |
| Ctrl+Alt+N |
Toggle inline note |
Live Decorations
These update as you type — no commands needed:
| Decoration |
What it shows |
| Section Summary |
5 items · ▁▃▅░ 2 done · 3 tags · 1 urgent · 2 old |
| Checklist Progress Bar |
▓▓▓░░ 3/5 (red → amber → green) |
| Word Goal Bar |
▓▓▓▓░░ 147/500 (on ==N sections) |
| Priority Backgrounds |
!!! red · !! amber · ! yellow item tints |
| Section Heat Map |
Overview ruler markers coloured by section weight |
| Urgency Ruler Tint |
Red left-gutter when a section has 2+ !!! items |
| Sticky Header |
Section name shown at top of viewport when scrolled |
| Item Age Highlight |
30+ day old items rendered muted and italic |
| Section Colour |
[colour:X] header tags render in that colour |
| Overdue Status Bar |
⚠ N overdue — click to open Today View |
| Word Goal Nudge |
📝 N words to go when below section goal |
Autocomplete
| Trigger |
Suggestions |
# |
All tags in the file, sorted by frequency |
@ |
All @PersonName mentions in the file |
[[ |
All section headers in the file |
! |
Priority levels with descriptions |
@ (date) |
today · tomorrow · next week · next month |
~ |
Common time estimates |
★ |
Star ratings 1–5 |
> |
Section header completions |
Diagnostics (Problems Panel)
The Problems panel flags issues with quick-fix actions (Ctrl+.):
| Problem |
Quick Fixes |
| Duplicate section names |
Rename · Make unique |
| Empty sections |
Add placeholder · Delete · Quick capture |
| Out-of-sequence numbering |
Fix this · Fix all in file |
| Overdue items |
Reschedule to today · Remove date · Mark done |
| Below word goal |
Update goal · Remove goal |
| Expired items |
Extend by 7 days · Remove expiry |
All Commands
Type CL: in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). Commands are grouped by area.
Navigation
CL: Filter Sections · CL: Filter Sections (Workspace) · CL: Jump Back · CL: Show Jump History · CL: Filter Groups · CL: Jump to Bookmark · CL: Focus on Section · CL: Unfocus · CL: Fold All Sections · CL: Unfold All Sections
Search & Filter
CL: Search Items · CL: Search Items (Workspace) · CL: Filter by Tag · CL: Filter by Priority · CL: Filter by Mention · CL: Filter by Multiple Tags · CL: Filter by Colour Label · CL: Filter by Rating · CL: Show Upcoming · CL: Today View · CL: Show Expired Items · CL: Show Old Items · CL: Show Recurring
Section Actions
CL: New Section · CL: Clone Section · CL: Rename Section · CL: Delete Section · CL: Duplicate Section · CL: Move Section Up/Down · CL: Merge Section Below · CL: Split Section Here · CL: Diff Two Sections · CL: Archive Done Items · CL: Freeze Section · CL: Unfreeze Section · CL: Lock Section · CL: Unlock Section · CL: Freeze Section · CL: Show Section Growth · CL: Show Section Time Estimate · CL: Show Nesting Breakdown
Item Actions
CL: Toggle Item Done · CL: Toggle Star · CL: Toggle Note · CL: Toggle Flag · CL: Add Vote · CL: Duplicate Item · CL: Move Item Up/Down · CL: Move Item to Section · CL: Edit Item Content · CL: Snapshot Item · CL: Diff Item with Snapshot · CL: Smart Paste · CL: Wrap Item Text · CL: Show Item Complexity · CL: Evaluate Expression in Item · CL: Insert Date Stamp · CL: Convert Item to Section Link · CL: Send to Daily Note
Bulk Actions
CL: Mark All Done (Section) · CL: Mark All Undone (Section) · CL: Toggle Done (All Cursors) · CL: Set Priority (All Cursors) · CL: Bulk Tag Items · CL: Bulk Set Priority · CL: Bulk Set Due Date · CL: Clear All Priority · CL: Shift All Due Dates · CL: Batch Replace Text · CL: Change Item Prefix · CL: Rename Tag (Section) · CL: Sort by Due Date
Sorting & Numbering
CL: Sort Items A→Z · CL: Sort by Votes · CL: Sort by Due Date · CL: Renumber Items · CL: Fix Numbering · CL: Convert Bullets to Numbered · CL: Convert Numbered to Bullets
Statistics & Analytics
CL: Show File Statistics · CL: Quick Stats · CL: Show Tag Stats · CL: Show Mentions Report · CL: Show Section Growth · CL: Show Vote Leaderboard (Section) · CL: Count Word Frequency · CL: Show Reading Time · CL: Show Section Time Estimate · CL: Show Item Complexity
Export & Copy
CL: Copy Section As… · CL: Copy Section as CSV Row · CL: Copy Section as JSON · CL: Extract URLs from Section · CL: Export to Obsidian · CL: Export File as HTML/JSON/CSV/Markdown
Views & Webviews
CL: Show Kanban · CL: Today View · CL: Show Archive · CL: Show Tag Stats · CL: Show Mentions Report · CL: Show Section Growth
Timers
CL: Start/Stop Item Timer · CL: Start/Stop Focus Timer (configurable, default 25 min) · CL: Start/Stop Section Timer
Appearance
CL: Colour Theme (13 presets) · CL: Toggle Section Summary · CL: Toggle Checklist Progress Bar · CL: Toggle Word Goal Bar · CL: Toggle Age Highlight · CL: Toggle All Decorations
AI Assist
Requires chevron-lists.anthropicApiKey.
CL: Suggest Items (AI) · CL: Summarise Section (AI) · CL: Expand Item (AI) · CL: Rewrite Item (AI)
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
chevron-lists.listPrefix |
- |
Bullet prefix character |
chevron-lists.blankLineAfterHeader |
false |
Blank line after header on Enter |
chevron-lists.snippetTrigger |
tab |
Snippet trigger: tab, ctrl+enter, or none |
chevron-lists.colourPreset |
default |
Colour theme preset |
chevron-lists.templates |
[] |
Custom templates |
chevron-lists.anthropicApiKey |
"" |
API key for AI Assist |
chevron-lists.autoArchive |
false |
Auto-move [x] items to Archive on toggle |
chevron-lists.dailyNotesFolder |
"" |
Folder for daily notes |
chevron-lists.dailyNoteTemplate |
"" |
Daily note template ({{date}}, {{weekday}}, {{day}}) |
chevron-lists.autoFixNumbering |
false |
Auto-correct numbering on save |
chevron-lists.escalateOverdue |
false |
Auto-add !!! to items overdue 7+ days |
chevron-lists.focusTimerMinutes |
25 |
Focus timer duration |
Who Uses This?
Chevron Lists works great for:
- Writers — chapter outlines, scene cards, revision notes with word goals
- Developers — feature tracking, bug lists, sprint notes, dependency mapping
- Project managers — kanban-style section boards, task assignment via
@mentions
- Students — lecture notes with tags, revision checklists, due date tracking
- Personal productivity — daily notes, GTD capture, habit tracking
- Game designers — combo trees, card lists, balance tracking with votes
Development
bun install
bun run compile # type-check
bun test src/__tests__ --coverage # 749 tests, 100% line coverage
bunx @vscode/vsce package # package VSIX
749 unit tests · 100% line coverage · 66 test files · all source modules under 200 lines
Architecture: SOLID principles throughout. Pure functions live in patterns.ts / *Parser.ts — never in *Commands.ts. Event-driven, single-responsibility modules. See ARCHITECTURE.md.
Links
License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 — © Lewis Creelman. Free for personal use.
