Preview All-in-One with QuickLook

Preview many local file types from VS Code through the Windows QuickLook app.

中文文档：README.zh-CN.md

Features

• Press Alt+` or click the editor title button to preview the focused file instantly.
• Works from Explorer, editor tabs, Source Control, Search Results, SCM History, and the Command Palette.
• Previews pdf, office, image, video, audio, font, archive, design files, and more — powered by your local QuickLook.
• Configure the executable path and options (/pin, /top) from the Command Palette or settings.
• Markdown dual pane: opening a .md file automatically splits the editor into a source panel (left) and a live preview panel (right), keeping exactly two panels. Enabled by default.

What's New in v0.2.3

• New Extension Icon: Redesigned the extension icon with a modern, minimalist fluid gradient logo.
• Markdown active group sync: Refactored the layout logic to keep Group 1 as the active group and restore the sidebar focus dynamically, eliminating the right-pane flashing issue when clicking files in the explorer/SCM without locking the editor group.

For the full release history, see CHANGELOG.md.

Preview All-in-One Coverage

This extension uses your local QuickLook installation as the preview engine. That makes VS Code Explorer, editor tabs, Search Results, Source Control changes, and SCM Graph / History a fast all-in-one preview flow instead of another single-format viewer.

Examples from QuickLook's official supported formats:

Actual preview support depends on your installed QuickLook version and QuickLook plugins. See the official QuickLook resources for the current format list:

• QuickLook README
• QuickLook supported formats

Screenshots

Requirements

• Windows.
• VS Code 1.91.0 or later.
• QuickLook for Windows installed and available locally.

Install QuickLook from the official repository: https://github.com/QL-Win/QuickLook

Usage

1. Install and start QuickLook.
2. Select a local file in VS Code Explorer, or open a file from Explorer, Search Results, Source Control changes, or SCM Graph / History.
3. Press Alt+` in Explorer or an active editor, click the editor title preview button, or run QuickLook: Preview with QuickLook from the Command Palette.

The default Alt+` keybinding is scoped to Explorer and active local or Git history editors. It avoids stealing normal text input such as Space in the editor. You can bind QuickLook: Preview with QuickLook to any key or key combination in VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts.

Commands

Settings

{
  "quicklook.executablePath": "D:\\Program Files\\QuickLook\\QuickLook.exe",
  "quicklook.previewOptions": [],
  "quicklook.useExplorerClipboardFallback": true,
  "quicklook.markdownDualPane": true
}

quicklook.executablePath

The QuickLook executable command or full path. This local build defaults to:

D:\Program Files\QuickLook\QuickLook.exe

If QuickLook is installed somewhere else, run QuickLook: Set QuickLook Executable Path and choose one of these options:

• Use a detected QuickLook.exe path.
• Browse for QuickLook.exe.
• Enter the full path manually.
• Open VS Code settings.

quicklook.previewOptions

Additional command line options appended after the file path. Official QuickLook options include /pin and /top.

{
  "quicklook.previewOptions": ["/top"]
}

quicklook.useExplorerClipboardFallback

When a keybinding is triggered from Explorer, VS Code's stable API does not directly expose the focused Explorer selection. This extension can temporarily call VS Code's Copy Path command, read the selected path, and restore the previous clipboard text immediately.

Disable this setting if you do not want the extension to use that fallback.

quicklook.markdownDualPane

When you open a Markdown file, the extension automatically arranges a two-panel layout: the source editor on the left and the built-in Markdown preview on the right. Extra editor groups are collapsed to keep exactly two panels.

Disable this setting if you prefer to manage Markdown preview layout manually.

Troubleshooting

1. Run QuickLook: Check QuickLook Installation.
2. If QuickLook is not found, choose Set Path and select or enter your QuickLook.exe path.
3. Open the QuickLook output channel for detailed path resolution and launch logs.

If preview still fails, confirm that QuickLook itself can preview the same file outside VS Code.

Development

npm install
npm test
npm run package

npm run package cleans old VSIX files before producing the latest package.

Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host.

Publishing

See docs/release.md for the GitHub and Visual Studio Marketplace release flow.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only. See LICENSE.txt.