JSON Power Tools

JSON Power Tools is a comprehensive VS Code extension that revolutionizes JSON handling. It intelligently converts nested JSON strings into properly structured objects, provides bulk processing capabilities, and offers complete control over formatting preferences. Perfect for developers working with APIs, configuration files, and complex JSON data structures.

✨ Key Features

🧠 Intelligent JSON Processing

• 🔄 Nested String Conversion: Automatically detects and converts JSON strings within objects to properly nested structures
• 📁 Bulk Folder Processing: Format hundreds of JSON files with a single command
• 🎯 Smart File Detection: Supports .json, .jsonc, .txt, and custom extensions
• ⚡ Performance Optimized: Lightning-fast processing with intelligent depth limits and memory management

🎨 Advanced Formatting Options

• 📏 Flexible Indentation: Choose between spaces (2, 4, 8, etc.) or tabs with custom width
• 🔧 VS Code Integration: Full integration with VS Code's built-in format command (Shift+Alt+F)
• 🖱️ Context Menu Support: Right-click formatting for files, folders, and editor content
• ⚙️ Real-time Updates: Configuration changes apply immediately without restart

🛡️ Smart Filtering & Safety

• 🚫 Intelligent Exclusion: Automatically skips node_modules, dist, .git, and 35+ common directories
• 📄 Extension Filtering: Process only the file types you specify
• 📊 Depth Control: Prevent infinite recursion with configurable depth limits
• 🔍 Error Handling: Gracefully handles malformed JSON without breaking the process

🚀 Developer Experience

• 📊 Progress Feedback: Real-time progress reports for bulk operations
• 🎯 Multiple Access Methods: 7 different ways to format your JSON files
• ⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick access via Command Palette and hotkeys
• 📈 Performance Metrics: Duration and success rate reporting

📦 Installation

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "JSON Power Tools"
4. Click Install

Or install via command line:

code --install-extension medeiroz.json-power-tools

🎯 How to Use

🎮 Method 1: Command Palette

Use Ctrl+Shift+P and search for JSON Power Tools commands:

📁 Method 2: Right-Click on Files

Right-click any JSON file in the Explorer:

📂 Method 3: Right-Click on Folders

Process entire directories at once:

⌨️ Method 4: Format Document (Hotkey)

Set as default formatter and use Shift+Alt+F:

🎛️ Method 5: Format Document With... (Context Menu)

Right-click in the editor and choose formatting tool:

🔧 Method 6: Context Menu Formatting

Use the dedicated formatting option in editor context menu:

⚡ Method 7: Auto-Format on Save

Configure automatic formatting when saving files:

🎭 Real-World Examples

📚 Example 1: API Response Formatting

Before (Raw API response with nested JSON strings):

{
  "status": "success",
  "user": "John Doe",
  "profile": "{\"age\": 30, \"city\": \"New York\", \"preferences\": \"{\\\"theme\\\": \\\"dark\\\", \\\"notifications\\\": true}\"}"
}

After (Beautifully structured):

{
  "status": "success",
  "user": "John Doe",
  "profile": {
    "age": 30,
    "city": "New York",
    "preferences": {
      "theme": "dark",
      "notifications": true
    }
  }
}

🏗️ Example 2: Configuration Files

Before (Minified config with escaped strings):

{"database":"{\"host\":\"localhost\",\"credentials\":\"{\\\"username\\\":\\\"admin\\\",\\\"password\\\":\\\"secret\\\"}\"}","settings":"{\"debug\":true,\"logging\":{\"level\":\"info\"}}"}

After (Clean, readable configuration):

{
  "database": {
    "host": "localhost",
    "credentials": {
      "username": "admin",
      "password": "secret"
    }
  },
  "settings": {
    "debug": true,
    "logging": {
      "level": "info"
    }
  }
}

🔍 Example 3: Complex Nested Structures

Perfect for handling logs, API responses, configuration files, and any JSON with multiple nesting levels!

⚙️ Configuration

🎛️ Quick Settings Access

• Use Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P → "JSON Power Tools: Open Settings"
• Or go to: File > Preferences > Settings → Search "JSON Power Tools"

📝 Indentation Preferences

Choose your preferred code style:

{
  "json-power-tools.indentation.type": "spaces",  // "spaces" or "tabs"
  "json-power-tools.indentation.size": 2          // 2, 4, 8 spaces or tab width
}

Popular Configurations:

• Standard: 2 spaces (default)
• Enterprise: 4 spaces
• Compact: Tabs with size 1

📁 File Processing Control

Customize which files get processed:

{
  "json-power-tools.allowedExtensions": [".json", ".jsonc", ".txt", ".config"],
  "json-power-tools.maxDepth": 256  // Prevent infinite recursion
}

🚫 Smart Folder Exclusion

Skip unnecessary directories (35+ defaults included):

{
  "json-power-tools.ignoredFolders": [
    "node_modules", "dist", "build", ".git", "vendor", 
    "bower_components", ".vscode", "coverage", "logs"
  ]
}

🔧 Advanced Options

Fine-tune the processing behavior:

📋 Available Settings

🎮 Available Commands

📄 Single File Commands

📁 Bulk Processing Commands

⚙️ Utility Commands

🔧 VS Code Integration

💡 Pro Tips

• Batch Processing: Select multiple files in Explorer, right-click → Format
• Keyboard Workflow: Set as default formatter for seamless Shift+Alt+F usage
• Auto-Format: Enable format-on-save for continuous JSON cleanup

🔧 Requirements

• VS Code 1.104.0 or higher
• No additional dependencies required

🐛 Troubleshooting

⚠️ Common Issues & Solutions

🔧 Performance Optimization

• Large Projects: Set maxDepth: 50 for faster scanning
• Monorepos: Add project-specific folders to ignoredFolders
• Network Drives: Process local copies for better performance

💡 Best Practices

• ✅ Test on small folders first before processing large directories
• ✅ Keep backups when processing critical configuration files
• ✅ Use version control to easily revert changes if needed
• ✅ Configure auto-format for seamless development workflow

🚀 Release Notes

0.0.1 (Initial Release)

0.0.2 (Add icons and screenshots to README)

Features

• ✅ Smart JSON string to object conversion
• ✅ Bulk folder processing with progress feedback
• ✅ Configurable indentation (spaces/tabs, size)
• ✅ File extension filtering
• ✅ Recursive directory processing with depth limits
• ✅ Context menu integration
• ✅ Document formatting provider
• ✅ Real-time configuration updates
• ✅ Comprehensive folder exclusion defaults

Performance

• ✅ Optimized recursive file discovery
• ✅ Efficient JSON parsing and stringifying
• ✅ Memory-conscious processing for large directories

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

🐛 Report Issues

Found a bug? Open an issue with:

• VS Code version
• Extension version
• Sample JSON that causes the issue
• Expected vs actual behavior

💡 Suggest Features

Have an idea? We'd love to hear it! Create a feature request with:

• Use case description
• Expected behavior
• Benefits to other users

🔧 Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/medeiroz/json-power-tools.git
cd json-power-tools
npm install
npm test

📄 License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.

🙏 Show Your Support

If this extension saves you time and makes your JSON workflow better:

⭐ Star Us

• ⭐ Star the GitHub repository
• 📈 Help others discover this tool

📝 Share Your Experience

• 📝 Write a review on the VS Code Marketplace
• � Share on social media with #JSONPowerTools
• 💬 Tell your team about it

🔗 Stay Connected

• 🔔 Watch the repo for updates
• 📢 Follow for new features and improvements
• 🤝 Join our growing community