Project Scripts
Execute project scripts from a sidebar panel. Define your own actions in a config file, and the extension automatically surfaces scripts from your project's tooling.
Features
Curated Actions
A user-defined list of commands stored in .vscode/project-actions.json. Actions are organized into named groups and can be executed with a single click from the sidebar.
Create Config: Click "Create Config File" in the sidebar to generate a starter config file.
Detected Scripts
The extension automatically detects scripts from:
package.json (npm scripts)composer.json (Composer scripts)Makefile, makefile, GNUmakefile (Make targets)
For Makefiles, if .PHONY is declared, only those targets are shown. Otherwise, all top-level targets are listed.
Action Locations
Actions can be accessed from multiple locations in VS Code:
| Location |
How to Access |
| Activity Bar |
Click the Project Scripts icon in the left sidebar to open the sidebar panel |
| Sidebar - Project Scripts |
Curated actions organized in groups |
| Sidebar - Suggested Actions |
Auto-detected scripts, grouped by source file |
| Editor Title Bar |
Click the terminal icon in an open editor's tab |
| Explorer Context |
Right-click a folder and select "Run Action..." |
| Command Palette |
Run "Project Scripts: Run Action..." |
| Status Bar |
Click the terminal icon in the bottom-right corner |
All locations open the same action picker with your curated actions.
Safety
Commands matching destructive patterns (e.g., rm -rf, git reset --hard, DROP TABLE) display a confirmation prompt before execution.
Terminal Reuse
All commands run in a single named terminal ("Project Scripts"). The terminal is reused across executions.
JSON Schema
Config files are validated and support autocomplete via JSON Schema.
Getting Started
- Open a workspace in VS Code
- Click the Project Scripts icon in the Activity Bar
- If the workspace contains
package.json, composer.json, or a Makefile, scripts appear in "Suggested Actions"
- Click "Add" next to any suggestion to add it to your curated list, or click "Create Config File" to create an empty config
Configuration
Create .vscode/project-actions.json in your workspace root:
{
"groups": [
{
"id": "dev",
"label": "Development",
"actions": [
{
"id": "dev-server",
"label": "Start Dev Server",
"command": "npm run dev"
},
{
"id": "run-tests",
"label": "Run Tests",
"command": "npm test"
}
]
},
{
"id": "db",
"label": "Database",
"actions": [
{
"id": "db-migrate",
"label": "Run Migrations",
"command": "php artisan migrate"
}
]
}
]
}
Config Reference
| Field |
Type |
Required |
Description |
groups |
array |
Yes |
Top-level list of action groups |
groups[].id |
string |
Yes |
Unique group identifier |
groups[].label |
string |
Yes |
Display name for the group |
groups[].actions |
array |
Yes |
List of actions in the group |
actions[].id |
string |
Yes |
Unique action identifier |
actions[].label |
string |
Yes |
Button label shown in the sidebar |
actions[].command |
string |
Yes |
Shell command to execute |
actions[].icon |
string |
No |
VS Code icon ID |
actions[].placements |
array |
No |
Where to display the action (sidebar, statusBar, editorTitle, explorerContext) |
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Project Scripts: Refresh |
Reload the sidebar from the config file |
Project Scripts: Run Action... |
Open the action picker |
Project Scripts: Create Config File |
Create a starter .vscode/project-actions.json |
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0 or later
- Workspace Trust must be granted (the extension requires it to run terminal commands)
Extension Settings
This extension does not contribute any VS Code settings. All configuration is done via .vscode/project-actions.json.
Limitations
- Detectors for Taskfile, shell scripts, and other formats are not yet implemented
License
MIT
