A starter VS Code extension: gradient color theme (dark + light), a custom
start page, and a status-bar "mood" that changes with your error count.
Try it locally
Unzip this folder, code ly-answer-theme
Press F5 (or Run > Start Debugging) — this opens an Extension
Development Host window with the extension already active.
Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P → "Preferences: Color Theme" → pick LY Answer - Dark
or LY Answer - Light.
Introduce a syntax error in any file and watch the status bar item
(bottom left, "LY: ..." ) change tier. Click it to open the mood panel.
Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P → "LY Answer: Open Start Page" to see the gradient
welcome screen any time.
Adding your own memes
There are 7 tiers by default now, each looking for an image with a matching
filename in media/memes/ (.png/.jpg/.jpeg/.gif all work):
errors
filename
0
clean.png
1–2
mild.png
3–5
annoyed.png
6–9
stressed.png
10–15
chaos.png
16–25
meltdown.png
26+
disband.png
Want more or fewer tiers? Open src/extension.js and edit the TIERS
array near the top — add a row, remove a row, rename one, change the max
number. Nothing else needs to change; the status bar and mood panel both
read from that same list automatically. Just make sure the max values stay
in ascending order and the last one is Infinity.
Use images you have the rights to use — don't bundle official BTS
photos/album art or random Pinterest saves in something you plan to publish
publicly; use your own fan art, edits you're licensed for, or original
illustrations. If this stays private/personal use only (never shared or
published), that's a much lower-stakes bar — but the Marketplace does
enforce copyright takedowns if you ever publish it there.
Publishing to the Marketplace
npm install -g @vscode/vsce
From the project folder: vsce package → produces a .vsix file
Swap heart.svg for your own line-art (SVG, so it stays crisp)
Add more granular tiers, or per-language error/warning weighting
Add a workbench.colorCustomizations recommendation in a .vscode/settings.json
you ship as a "recommended settings" snippet, since gradients can't be
applied to core VS Code chrome — only to your own webviews
