Notepad Extension for VS Code

A simple and elegant notepad extension that adds a quick notes panel to Visual Studio Code.

Features

• Quick Access: Notepad panel in the activity bar for easy access
• Auto-Save: Automatically saves your notes as you type
• Persistent Storage: Notes are saved globally and persist across VS Code sessions
• Character Count: Real-time character counter
• Manual Save & Clear: Buttons for manual save and clearing all notes

Installation

From Source

1. Clone this repository
2. Run npm install to install dependencies
3. Run npm run compile to compile the extension
4. Press F5 to launch the extension in a new VS Code window

Usage

Opening the Notepad

• Click the notepad icon in the activity bar (left sidebar)
• Or use the command palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and search for "Open Notepad"

Features

• Auto-Save: Your notes are automatically saved 1 second after you stop typing
• Manual Save: Click the 💾 Save button to manually save your notes
• Clear Notes: Click the 🗑️ Clear button to clear all notes (with confirmation)
• Character Count: See the total character count at the bottom of the panel

Commands

• Notepad: Open Notepad - Opens the notepad panel
• Notepad: Clear Notepad - Clears all notes in the notepad

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher recommended)
• npm
• Visual Studio Code

Building

npm install
npm run compile

Running in Development

Press F5 in VS Code to launch the extension in a new Extension Development Host window.

Debugging

The extension includes launch configurations for debugging:

• Run Extension: Launches the extension in debug mode

Project Structure

.
├── src/
│   ├── extension.ts          # Extension entry point
│   └── notepadViewProvider.ts # Webview provider for notepad UI
├── media/
│   └── notepad.css           # Styles for notepad webview
├── resources/
│   └── notepad-icon.svg      # Icon for the extension
├── .vscode/
│   ├── launch.json           # Debug configuration
│   └── tasks.json            # Build tasks
├── package.json              # Extension manifest
└── tsconfig.json             # TypeScript configuration

Technologies

• TypeScript
• VS Code Extension API
• Webview API for custom UI
• Global State API for data persistence

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.