External Interface Reference

May 17, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

This document describes the external interface of Workspace Guard, including the supported inputs and outputs for the VS Code extension and CLI tools.

VS Code Extension

Commands

The extension contributes these user-facing commands through the Command Palette:

  • Workspace Guard: Open Escape Folder
  • Workspace Guard: Set Protection Mode
  • Workspace Guard: Remove Home Folders From Workspace
  • Workspace Guard: Audit Telemetry Settings
  • Workspace Guard: Apply Privacy Hardening
  • Workspace Guard: Roll Back Privacy Hardening
  • Workspace Guard: Assess Workspace Safety
  • Workspace Guard: Review .github Automation
  • Workspace Guard: Refresh .github Review
  • Workspace Guard: Suggest .github Remediation
  • Workspace Guard: Show .github Finding Details
  • Workspace Guard: Set .github Review Filter
  • Workspace Guard: Export .github Review as JSON
  • Workspace Guard: Export .github Review as Markdown

Settings Input

The extension accepts configuration through VS Code settings under the homeguard.* namespace.

Key inputs include:

  • homeguard.enable
  • homeguard.mode
  • homeguard.escapeFolder
  • homeguard.enableEphemeralEscape
  • homeguard.checkOnStartup
  • homeguard.checkOnWorkspaceFolderAdd
  • homeguard.allowList
  • homeguard.highRiskFolders
  • homeguard.verbose
  • homeguard.privacy.*
  • homeguard.githubReview.checkOnStartup
  • homeguard.safety.*

Extension Output

The extension produces output through:

  • notifications and warnings in VS Code
  • the WG: status bar control
  • the Workspace Guard Review Explorer tree
  • output panel review summaries
  • exported .github review reports in JSON or Markdown
  • workspace actions such as redirecting to an escape folder or removing risky folders from the workspace
  • workspace safety assessments that count .env-style secret-bearing files by filename without reading file contents, keep .env.example-style templates separate, and report when scanning stops at safety limits

CLI

Workspace Guard provides two CLI entry points.

homeguard-code

Input:

  • a target path or paths passed on the command line, intended as a safer wrapper around the VS Code code CLI

Behavior:

  • evaluates the requested path
  • warns, redirects, blocks, or audits based on the configured policy
  • launches the VS Code code CLI when allowed

Output:

  • terminal messages describing the safety decision
  • process exit status indicating success or failure

workspace-guard-scan

Input:

  • a repository or workspace path
  • optional --resolve-external-workflows to fetch referenced reusable workflows for deeper inspection

Behavior:

  • scans .github/workflows/*.yml, dependabot.yml, CODEOWNERS, and issue or pull request templates
  • evaluates workflow and repository metadata risks

Output:

  • terminal review output with findings grouped by severity
  • JSON or Markdown content when exported through the extension workflow

Repository Interface

The project also exposes these public repository interfaces:

  • GitHub issues for bug reports and feature requests
  • pull requests for proposed changes
  • releases for published VSIX artifacts
  • security policy for responsible disclosure

Related project references: