zplflow for Visual Studio Code & VSCodium
The complete developer tooling suite for Zebra Programming Language (ZPL).
Built-in Language Server (LSP 3.17), exhaustive parameter documentation, real-time signature help, and pixel-perfect live preview with multi-DPI resolution switching.
✨ Features at a Glance
⚡ 1. Embedded Language Server (LSP 3.17)
No more searching through 1,200+ pages of PDF manuals! zplflow embeds a lightning-fast, native Go language server with complete documentation for 188 official Zebra commands.
- Intelligent Autocompletion: Type
^ or ~ to browse available commands with inline summaries.
- Detailed Parameter Breakdown: Hover or inspect any command to see the full breakdown of all arguments, allowed values, expected formats, and default settings.
- Interactive Signature Help: As you type commas (e.g.
^FO100,50,0), the active parameter is automatically highlighted in real time with its description and valid inputs.
- Rich Hover Documentation: Instant tooltips with command descriptions, parameter tables, and usage examples.
- Zero External Dependencies: Ships out of the box with cross-compiled native binaries for Linux (x64, arm64), macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel), and Windows (x64, arm64). No Go, Node, or Python installation required!
🖨️ 2. Pixel-Perfect Live Preview
- Real-Time Label Rendering: View your thermal labels rendered side-by-side with your code as you edit.
- Printhead Resolution Switching: Toggle between standard thermal printer resolutions:
- 152 DPI (6 dots/mm)
- 203 DPI (8 dots/mm) — industry standard for desktop & mobile
- 300 DPI (12 dots/mm) — high-density labels & 2D barcodes
- 600 DPI (24 dots/mm) — ultra-crisp micro-labels (PCB, pharma)
- Custom Physical Dimensions: Configure width and height in millimeters (defaults to standard 4" x 6" / 101.6mm x 152.4mm).
- Instant Undo / Redo: Features an in-memory SHA-256 LRU cache for lag-free navigation through your edit history.
- Free Preview Tier: Live previews use
POST /v1/pipelines/preview with 0 token charges.
🎨 3. Syntax Highlighting & Grammar
- Dedicated TextMate grammar for
.zpl, .prn, and .label files.
- Accurate styling for control commands (
^XA, ^XZ), format commands (^FO, ^FD, ^FS), bar codes (^BC, ^BQ, ^B3), graphics (^GF, ^GB), and comments (^FX).
- Comment toggling and block matching out of the box.
🚀 Quick Start
- Install the Extension from the VS Code Marketplace or Open VSX Registry.
- Open any ZPL file (
.zpl, .prn, or .label). The language mode will automatically switch to ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) and start the embedded Language Server.
- Open the Live Preview:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + P (or Cmd + Shift + P on macOS).
- Select
zplflow: Open Live Preview.
- Code with Confidence:
- Type
^ to view suggestions.
- Hover over commands like
^FO or ^BC to inspect parameter lists.
- Fill in arguments and watch the signature guide you step by step.
⌨️ Commands
| Command |
Title |
Description |
zplflow.openPreview |
zplflow: Open Live Preview |
Opens the live thermal label rendering preview panel side-by-side. |
zplflow.restartLsp |
zplflow: Restart Language Server |
Restarts the background zplflow-lsp language server process. |
⚙️ Configuration Settings
Configure extension settings via VS Code Settings UI (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,) under Extensions → zplflow, or directly in your .vscode/settings.json:
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
zplflow.lsp.enabled |
boolean |
true |
Enable or disable the background ZPL Language Server. |
zplflow.lsp.path |
string |
"" |
Custom path to the zplflow-lsp binary. If empty, uses the bundled binary for your platform. |
zplflow.dpi |
number |
203 |
Default printhead resolution in DPI (152, 203, 300, 600). |
zplflow.widthMm |
number |
101.6 |
Default label width in millimeters (101.6 = 4 inches). |
zplflow.heightMm |
number |
152.4 |
Default label height in millimeters (152.4 = 6 inches). |
zplflow.renderMode |
string |
"onSave" |
When to refresh the preview: "onSave" (recommended) or "onType". |
zplflow.debounceMs |
number |
450 |
Debounce delay in milliseconds when renderMode is set to "onType". |
zplflow.apiKey |
string |
"" |
Optional API key for zplflow cloud services. |
zplflow.apiUrl |
string |
"https://api.zplflow.com" |
API URL for zplflow cloud or self-hosted on-premise gateway. |
The embedded Language Server binary is precompiled and included for the following targets:
| Operating System |
Architecture |
Binary Name |
| Linux |
x86_64 (amd64) |
bin/zplflow-lsp-linux-amd64 |
| Linux |
ARM64 (aarch64) |
bin/zplflow-lsp-linux-arm64 |
| macOS |
Apple Silicon (arm64) |
bin/zplflow-lsp-darwin-arm64 |
| macOS |
Intel (amd64) |
bin/zplflow-lsp-darwin-amd64 |
| Windows |
x86_64 (amd64) |
bin/zplflow-lsp-windows-amd64.exe |
| Windows |
ARM64 |
bin/zplflow-lsp-windows-arm64.exe |
Note: You can also specify an external binary path with "zplflow.lsp.path".
🔒 Privacy & Offline First
- Language Server (LSP): Runs 100% locally on your machine via standard input/output (stdio). Your label code, templates, and barcodes are parsed entirely in memory and never leave your local workstation for autocompletion, hover documentation, or syntax inspection.
- Preview: Rendered via the zplflow engine. In-memory SHA-256 caching ensures minimal network traffic and zero duplicate rendering requests.
📄 License
This extension is licensed under the MIT License.
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