HexSnippets

A lightweight, zero-auth, VS Code extension that loads shared code snippets from one or more local git repositories. Automatically keeps them updated via git pull, reloads snippets when files change, and provides a status overview in the VS Code status bar.

Perfect for teams who store snippets in private repos, use multiple snippet sources (core + project-specific), or want centralized snippet management without publishing extensions.

✨ Features

🔄 Automatically load and merge snippets from multiple git repos

Configure as many local git repos as you want. Each repo can contain its own snippet folder.

🔃 Auto-sync via git pull

At a configurable interval (default: 15 minutes), the extension will pull changes from each repo and reload snippets.

👀 Auto-reload on file changes

If you edit snippet files locally or another process updates them, the extension automatically reloads all snippets instantly.

📦 Standard VS Code snippet JSON format

The extension loads:

• *.code-snippets
• *.json (optional)

Follows VS Code’s native snippet format, including prefix, scope, and tabstops.

🧠 Merged output

Snippets from all configured repos are merged together:

• Global snippets ("scope": "*")
• Per-language snippets ("scope": "javascript,typescript")

📡 Status bar indicator

Shows:

• Total snippets loaded
• Git sync success/errors
• Per-repo status in tooltip
• Click to run manual sync

📁 Open snippets folder

Command: HexSnippets: Open Snippets Folder If you have multiple repos, a quick picker lets you choose which one to open.

🚀 Installation

1. Clone/fork this repo.

2. Run:

   npm install
   npm run compile
   

3. Press F5 in VS Code to launch the extension in a development host.

4. Package with:

   npx vsce package
   

⚙️ Configuration

Add this to your VS Code settings.json:

Multiple repositories (recommended)

{
  "hexSnippets.repositories": [
    {
      "name": "Core Snippets",
      "localRepoPath": "/home/user/dev/snippets-core",
      "branch": "main",
      "snippetsPath": "snippets",
      "includeJsonFiles": true,
      "enableGitPull": true
    },
    {
      "name": "Client A",
      "localRepoPath": "/home/user/projects/client-a-snippets",
      "branch": "main",
      "snippetsPath": "snippets",
      "includeJsonFiles": true,
      "enableGitPull": false // only reload, never pull
    }
  ],

  "hexSnippets.autoSyncIntervalMinutes": 15,
  "hexSnippets.debug": false
}

🛠 Commands

🔄 HexSnippets: Sync Now

Runs git pull (if enabled) for all configured repos and reloads snippets.

📁 HexSnippets: Open Snippets Folder

Opens the snippets directory for any repo in your OS file explorer.

📌 Snippet Format

Standard VS Code snippet JSON:

{
  "Log Variable": {
    "prefix": "logv",
    "scope": "javascript,typescript",
    "body": ["console.log('${1:label}:', ${2:value});"],
    "description": "Log a variable with a label"
  }
}

• "scope": "*" → global snippet
• Multiple prefixes are allowed
• Body can be a string or an array

🔧 How It Works

1. On startup (or interval)

• For each repo:

  • Resolves the local repo path (absolute or relative).
  • Optionally runs git pull.
  • Loads snippet files under the configured snippet folder.

2. Snippets are parsed & merged

• Grouped by language
• Added to VS Code via completion providers

3. Watchers monitor file changes

Any change triggers a fast reload (no git pull).

4. Status shown in VS Code

Hover to see:

• Repo sync success/errors
• Last sync timestamps
• Snippet counts

💡 Tips & Best Practices

• Store snippets in separate repos per team, client, or project.
• Add sample snippets to help new teammates onboard quickly.
• Use enableGitPull: false when working offline or when using Git worktrees.
• Use debug: true while developing new snippet sets.

🐛 Troubleshooting

“Path is not a git repo”

Ensure the repo contains a .git folder and your configured path is correct.

Snippets not loading

Check:

• File extensions (must be .code-snippets or .json)
• JSON syntax validity
• That "scope" is correct for the language

Status bar shows ⚠

Hover over it — the tooltip will show the per-repo error details.

📄 License

MIT License Copyright ©