Skip to content

Development

This document describes how to develop and contribute to VS Code GPG.

Prerequisites

Getting Started

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/tomzxcode/vscode-gpg.git
cd vscode-gpg

Install Dependencies

bun install

Build the Extension

bun run compile

Run in Development Mode

  1. Press F5 in VS Code
  2. A new VS Code window will open with the extension loaded
  3. Make changes and press F5 to reload

Project Structure

vscode-gpg/
├── src/
│   ├── crypto/
│   │   ├── config.ts         # Configuration management
│   │   ├── keyManager.ts     # Key storage and management
│   │   └── openpgp.ts        # OpenPGP operations (encrypt/decrypt)
│   ├── commands/
│   │   └── keyCommands.ts    # Command registrations
│   ├── providers/
│   │   └── encryptedFileSystemProvider.ts  # File system provider
│   ├── util/
│   │   └── logger.ts         # Logging utilities
│   └── extension.ts          # Extension entry point
├── package.json              # Extension manifest
├── tsconfig.json             # TypeScript configuration
└── build.mjs                 # Build script

Key Components

Extension Activation (extension.ts)

The extension activates on: - onFileSystem:gpgfs - When a file with the gpgfs scheme is opened - onLanguage:plaintext - When a plain text file is opened - onCommand:vscode.openWith - When opening with a specific editor

File System Provider (encryptedFileSystemProvider.ts)

Implements vscode.FileSystemProvider to provide: - readFile - Decrypts and returns file content - writeFile - Encrypts and writes file content - stat, delete, rename, readDirectory - Standard file operations

Key Manager (keyManager.ts)

Manages GPG keys through: - VS Code's global state for key storage - VS Code's secrets API for passphrase storage - Import/export/list/remove operations

OpenPGP Operations (openpgp.ts)

Wraps the openpgp.js library: - encrypt() - Encrypts content with a public key - decrypt() - Decrypts content with a private key - generateKeyPair() - Generates new key pairs - parseKeyInfo() - Extracts key information

Building and Packaging

Development Build

bun run watch

This will compile TypeScript and watch for changes.

Production Build

bun run compile

Package Extension

bun run package

This creates a .vsix file that can be installed.

Publish Extension

bun run publish

This publishes the extension to the VS Code Marketplace.

Testing

Manual Testing

  1. Press F5 to launch the extension development host
  2. Test key generation
  3. Test file encryption/decryption
  4. Test edge cases (wrong passphrase, missing keys, etc.)

Debugging

  1. Set breakpoints in TypeScript files
  2. Press F5 to launch with debugger attached
  3. Use the GPG: Show Logs command to view output

Contributing

Code Style

  • Use TypeScript for all new code
  • Follow existing code formatting
  • Add comments for complex logic

Commit Messages

Use clear, descriptive commit messages: 

feat: add support for multiple recipients
fix: handle missing passphrase gracefully
docs: update installation instructions

Pull Requests

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Make your changes
  4. Test thoroughly
  5. Submit a pull request with a clear description

Resources

License

MIT