Project Template Manager - Development Guide

This document provides instructions for building, installing, and using the Project Template Manager extension.

Building and Installing the Extension

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14.0.0 or later)
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• VS Code or Cursor IDE

Building the Extension

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/artinmajdi/Project-Template-Manager.git
   cd Project-Template-Manager/vscode-extension
   

2. Install dependencies

   npm install
   

3. Compile the extension

   npm run compile
   

4. Package the extension

   # Install vsce if you don't have it
   npm install -g @vscode/vsce
   
   # Create the VSIX package
   vsce package
   

   This will generate a project-template-manager-0.0.1.vsix file.

Installing the Extension

In VS Code

code --install-extension project-template-manager-0.0.1.vsix

In Cursor IDE

cursor --install-extension project-template-manager-0.0.1.vsix

Using the Extension with Template Examples

Adding the Template Example to Your Extension

The Project Template Manager uses the extension directory as the source for templates. To use the provided pythonic_template as your template:

1. Option 1: Copy to Extension Directory

   • Copy the contents of the pythonic_template directory to the extension's installation directory
   • This allows the template example to be used immediately

   Note: Finding the extension directory varies by platform:

   • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\artinmajdi.project-template-manager-0.0.1
   • macOS: ~/.vscode/extensions/artinmajdi.project-template-manager-0.0.1
   • Linux: ~/.vscode/extensions/artinmajdi.project-template-manager-0.0.1

   For Cursor IDE, replace .vscode with .cursor

2. Option 2: Create a Symbolic Link

   • Create a symbolic link from the extension directory to your template example

   # On macOS/Linux
   ln -s /path/to/pythonic_template/* ~/.vscode/extensions/artinmajdi.project-template-manager-0.0.1/template
   
   # On Windows (Command Prompt as Administrator)
   mklink /D "%USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\artinmajdi.project-template-manager-0.0.1\template" "path\to\pythonic_template"
   

Using the Extension

After installation, you can use the extension with the following commands:

1. Create a Full Project

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) to open the Command Palette
   • Type "Project Template: Create Full Project" and select it
   • Choose a destination folder where you want to create the project
   • Enter a name for the new project folder
   • The extension will create a new project with the template structure

2. Add Template Items to an Existing Project

   • Open the folder/workspace where you want to add template items
   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) to open the Command Palette
   • Type "Project Template: Add Files/Folders from Template" and select it
   • Select the files or folders from the template that you want to add to your project
   • The selected items will be copied to your workspace

Making Changes to Templates

When you make changes to your template files:

1. If using Option 1 (direct copy), you'll need to copy the updated files to the extension directory again.
2. If using Option 2 (symbolic link), changes will be reflected automatically since you're working with the linked files.

Troubleshooting

• If commands aren't showing up in the Command Palette, try reloading the window (Cmd+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")
• Check the Output panel (View → Output) and select "Project Template Manager" from the dropdown to see debug logs

Further Development

• To make changes to the extension itself, modify the files in the src directory
• After making changes, rebuild the extension following the steps in the "Building the Extension" section
• For significant changes, increment the version number in package.json