vscode-terminal-runner

VSCode Terminal Runner - CLI

Automate your development workflow - Launch multiple development projects with a single command

What is VSCode Terminal Runner?

VSCode Terminal Runner is a CLI tool that eliminates the pain of manually setting up your development environment. With configurable tasks and workspaces, you can launch all your project terminals and commands through VSCode.

Perfect for developers working with microservices, full-stack applications, or any multi-project setup.

The Problem

Before VSCode Terminal Runner:

# Every day, manually:
cd frontend && npm run dev
# New terminal
cd backend && npm run server
# New terminal
cd database && docker-compose up
# New terminal
cd api-gateway && go run main.go
# ... and so on

After VSCode Terminal Runner:

vstr workspace run my-project
# Under the hood, vstr creates every terminal and runs every command
# in the same order they were configured in your workspace.

What VSCode Terminal Runner Solves

• Manual terminal management -> Automated workspace setup
• Repetitive daily commands -> One-command project launch
• Forgetting service dependencies -> Configured execution order
• Context switching overhead -> Instant development environment

VSCode Integration

This tool is specifically designed to integrate with VSCode through the VSTR-Bridge extension. The architecture works as follows:

How it Works

• CLI Component (vstr): Manages tasks, workspaces, and user configuration
• VSCode Extension (VSTR-Bridge): Handles terminal creation and command execution within VSCode
• Communication: The CLI communicates with the extension to automatically open terminals and run commands within your VSCode workspace

Features

• Seamless integration with VSCode terminal system
• Automatic terminal creation and management
• Commands execute in the context of your VSCode workspace
• No manual terminal switching required

Installation

Prerequisites

• Go 1.24+ must be installed on your system.

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DieGopherLT/vscode-terminal-runner/main/install.sh | sh

Then run vstr setup to install the required VSCode extension (VSTR-Bridge) directly from GitHub Releases.

Quick Setup

A task is the unit of execution: it runs one or more commands inside a dedicated VSCode terminal. A workspace groups several tasks together and launches each one in its own terminal, in the order you defined.

1. Create your first task:

   vstr task create   # or: vstr t create
   

2. Create a workspace:

   vstr workspace create   # or: vstr w create
   

3. Run a task:

   vstr task run my-task   # or: vstr t run my-task
   

4. Run a workspace:

   vstr workspace run my-workspace   # or: vstr w run my-workspace
   

Available Commands

Task Management

vstr task create           # Interactive form to create a new task
vstr task list             # List all tasks
vstr task list --only-names  # List task names only
vstr task edit <name>      # Edit an existing task
vstr task run <name>       # Run a specific task
vstr task delete <name>    # Delete a task

Workspace Management

vstr workspace create      # Interactive form to create a new workspace
vstr workspace list        # List all workspaces
vstr workspace edit <name> # Edit an existing workspace
vstr workspace run <name>  # Run all tasks in a workspace
vstr workspace delete <name> # Delete a workspace

task and workspace have short aliases: t and w respectively. For example: vstr t run my-task or vstr w run my-project.

Use Cases

• Full-stack Development: Launch frontend, backend, and database simultaneously
• Microservices Architecture: Start all services in correct dependency order
• Testing Environments: Set up complex test scenarios with multiple components
• DevOps Workflows: Automate local development environment setup

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Made by DieGopherLT