f4data — Data Dictionary for VS Code

📊 f4data brings your data dictionary into VS Code. Instantly explore dictionaries, tables, variable definitions, and documentation — right in your editor. Ideal for credit analysts, quants, and model risk teams focused on model governance and data onboarding.

f4data demo

Features
Installation
Getting Started
File Format (.rd)
Supported File Types
Troubleshooting
Contributing
License

Features

f4data enables seamless data dictionary management within VS Code:

📚 Navigate Dictionaries — List and explore multiple dictionaries with ease
📊 Visualize Tables — Interactive canvas view with zoom, pan, and intelligent layout
🔍 Explore Variables — Browse all columns, types, constraints, and mappings per table
📖 Markdown Documentation — Attach rich documentation to tables and dictionaries
🔗 Define Relationships — Create foreign keys and multi-table relationships with visual links
📥 Export to Excel — Generate formatted data sheets from your schema definitions
⚙️ Manage Workspace — Set working directories and persist configuration per dictionary
🔄 Real-time Updates — Reload dictionaries on file changes (with refresh command)

Installation

Via VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for f4data
Click Install
Reload VS Code if prompted

Direct Link

Install f4data from VS Code Marketplace

Getting Started

Step 1: Create a Dictionary Folder

Create a new folder for each data dictionary you want to manage:

my_database/
├── Documents/        # General documentation (optional)
├── Tables/           # Table-specific docs (optional)
└── schema.rd         # Table & relationship definitions (required)

Step 2: Define Your Schema

Create a .rd file (e.g., schema.rd) and define your tables:

# Table for all the users
TABLE users {
  id integer [PK]
  username varchar
  email varchar 
  created_at date
  role varchar
}

TABLE orders {
  id integer [PK]
  user_id integer
  total float
  status varchar
  created_at date
}

TABLE order_items {
  id integer [PK]
  order_id integer
  product_id integer
  quantity integer
  price float
}

enum user_role {
  admin: Administrator
  editor: Can modify
  viewer: Read-only
}

enum order.status {
  pending: Awaiting payment [note: "Waiting to be processed's"]
  paid: Payment confirmed
  shipped: In transit
  delivered: Delivered
  cancelled: Cancelled
}

ref: orders.user_id > users.id
ref: order_items.order_id - orders.id

Step 3: Add Documentation (Optional)

Create markdown files to enhance your data dictionary:

Documents/ folder — Store general documentation (Change logs, modus operandi, etc.)
Tables/ folder — Store table-specific documentation (naming conventions, business logic, examples)

Example structure:

my_database/
├── Documents/
│   ├── Change_Log.md
│   ├── Architecture.md
├── Tables/
│   ├── users.md
│   ├── orders.md
└── schema.rd

Step 4: View in VS Code

Open your workspace containing the dictionary folder
Look for f4data in the Explorer sidebar (or use View > Open View)
Click on your dictionary to expand it
Explore tables, variables, and documentation

File Format (.rd)

The .rd (Reference Data) file is a custom format for defining your data schema.

Syntax Overview

Tables

TABLE table_name {
  column_name: type [CONSTRAINTS]
  another_column: type
}

Supported Types:

integer, float, boolean
varchar, text, string
timestamp, date
(Custom types supported)

Constraints:

PK — Primary Key

Mappings (Enums)

enum mapping_name {
  key1: "Description 1"
  key2: "Description 2"
  key3: "Description 3"
}

Relationships

ref: table1.column - table2.column

Special Rules

Hidden Tables: add an underscore to the end of a table name to exclude it from diagrams
```
TABLE internal_cache_ { ... }
```

Comments: Use // for single-line comments

TABLE users {
  id: integer [PK]  // Unique identifier
}

Supported File Types

Format	Purpose	Status
`.rd`	Schema definitions (tables, variables, mappings, relationships)	✅ Fully supported
`.md`	Documentation (markdown) for tables and dictionaries	✅ Fully supported
`.pdf`	PDF documentation	🔄 Planned

Configuration

Settings

Access settings via Preferences > Settings > f4data:

f4data.excel.tableHeaderExcelColor.default — Header color for default tables
f4data.excel.tableHeaderExcelColor.tables — Header color for table sheets
(More settings available in package.json)

Working Directory

For each dictionary, you can set a working directory via:

Right-click dictionary in explorer
Select Update Working Directory
Enter the path to your data files

Commands

Command	Description
`f4data.refreshDictsDir`	Reload all dictionaries
`f4data.addDictionaries`	Add a new dictionary
`f4data.exportToExcel`	Export schema to Excel
`f4data.clickOnDicItem`	Navigate to dictionary item

Troubleshooting

Dictionary Not Appearing

Problem: Your dictionary folder doesn't appear in the f4data sidebar.

Solutions:

Ensure your folder contains a .rd file
Check that the folder structure matches the expected format
Run f4data: Refresh Dictionaries command (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
Reload VS Code (Cmd+R / Ctrl+R)

Syntax Highlighting Not Working

Problem: .rd files don't have syntax highlighting.

Solution:

Ensure the extension is installed correctly
Manually set file language: Click language indicator (bottom-right) → Select "f4data"

Mappings Not Linking

Problem: Variables with [ref: ...] don't show the mapping.

Solution:

Ensure the mapping name matches exactly (case-sensitive)
Verify the mapping is defined in the same .rd file

Performance Issues with Large Dictionaries

Problem: Canvas is slow or unresponsive with 50+ tables.