Nifty Launch
Add debug configurations for what's in your project (npm scripts, tests, Python, Django, FastAPI, Go, .NET, Rust, browsers), build compounds, and catch broken launch.json references.
Maintained. No sign-in. No telemetry. Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other editors that use Open VSX.
Features




- Add the configurations your project needs. Add Detected Launch Configurations… looks at your project and offers ready-made entries. Tick the ones you want and they're added to
.vscode/launch.json (created if needed), keeping your comments and formatting:
- Node.js: every
package.json script, run with npm, pnpm, yarn or bun to match your lockfile, plus sub-packages in apps/* and packages/*, the main file, and attaching on port 9229
- Tests: Vitest, Jest, pytest, Go tests and Rust tests for the current file or package
- Browsers: Chrome and Edge on your dev server's port (Vite, Next.js, Angular, Astro, SvelteKit, Nuxt, CRA)
- Python: the current file, Django
runserver, FastAPI through uvicorn, Flask, and attaching with debugpy
- Go: each
main package
- .NET: each app or web project, with the
dotnet build task it needs added to tasks.json, and the browser opened when ASP.NET Core is listening
- Rust: each binary, through CodeLLDB
- Deno
- Debug without touching launch.json. Debug Something… lists your configurations and everything detected; pick one and it starts.
- Compounds in two clicks. Pick the configurations to start together (say, the API and the browser), name it, done.
stopAll is on, so stopping one stops the rest.
- Catch broken launch.json. Problems show up as you type:
preLaunchTask/postDebugTask that isn't in tasks.json
- compounds naming a configuration that doesn't exist
${input:x} with no matching input (quick fix: add it)
- duplicate names
program, cwd or envFile pointing at a file that isn't there
- old debug types like
pwa-node or python (quick fix: change it)
- debug types that no installed extension provides, naming the extension you need
- If a configuration needs a debugger you don't have (debugpy, Go, C#, CodeLLDB), you're offered the extension to install.
- Works in the browser on vscode.dev and github.dev for adding, combining and checking configurations; Debug Something… needs the desktop app.
Commands
| Command |
What it does |
Nifty Launch: Add Detected Launch Configurations… |
Pick detected configurations to add (also a lens in launch.json and a button in the Run and Debug view) |
Nifty Launch: Debug Something… |
Start any configuration or detected target |
Nifty Launch: Create Compound Configuration… |
Start several configurations together |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
What it does |
nifty.launch.validate |
true |
Check launch.json |
nifty.launch.checkPaths |
true |
Report missing program/cwd/envFile paths (build output and node_modules are skipped) |
nifty.launch.checkDebuggers |
true |
Report debug types no extension provides |
nifty.launch.codeLens |
true |
Lenses above configurations |
nifty.launch.exclude |
build and dependency folders |
Folders not searched |
Install
- VS Code: search for "Nifty Launch" in the Extensions view, or install from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
- Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Kiro, Antigravity: install from Open VSX.
Privacy
This extension collects no telemetry and needs no account.
- Nifty Run: npm Scripts, Make & Task Runner: Everything you can run in one view: npm, pnpm and yarn scripts, make and just targets, Python and Go entry points, .NET, Cargo and Docker Compose. Run, debug or save to tasks.json. (Open VSX)
- Nifty Code Runner: Run Code in 25+ Languages: Run the current file or selection in 25+ languages in the terminal, with input support, your own commands and no telemetry. (Open VSX)
- Nifty Beautify: Format HTML in PHP, Blade & Twig: Format HTML inside PHP, Blade, Twig, Jinja, Handlebars, ERB and Liquid templates without breaking the template tags. (Open VSX)
- Nifty C# Templates: New Class, Record & Namespace: New C# class, interface, record, enum, test and controller files with the right namespace, plus namespace syncing. (Open VSX)
- Nifty NuGet: NuGet Package Manager: Search, add, update and remove NuGet packages, see outdated and vulnerable ones, in VS Code, Cursor and every editor. (Open VSX)
- Nifty Pretty Errors: Readable Error Messages: Readable error messages for every language: TypeScript types formatted as code, long C++ and Rust types folded, and a docs link for every error code, in the hover and a side panel. (Open VSX)
See all 35 Nifty tools at https://getnifty.dev
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