DEVELOPMENT.md

DEVELOPMENT

Setup

Use Node.js 22.12 or newer and install the locked dependencies:

npm ci
npm run build:editor

The VS Code API types stay pinned to the minimum supported version in engines.vscode. Standard uses its own compatible ESLint dependency.

Running in Debug Mode

Open this project in VSCode.

Then in VSCode click Run > Start Debugging.

That will open up a second VSCode that you can refresh when making changes. see more

CMD + R to refresh the extension, after making changes.

Tests

npm test

Tests download the current stable VS Code and use a temporary workspace containing HELLO=World in its .env file. No credentials or local .env file are needed.

The Monaco integration test runs the production editor inside a real VS Code webview. It checks computed visibility on animation frames during initial loading, editing, and tab switches, with an explicit reveal as a positive control. The test host disables background throttling so frame checks run even when it is unfocused. This checks browser render state; it is not a substitute for recording the screen when validating compositor behavior on a particular platform.

npm run build:editor bundles the local Monaco editor and worker into media/editor/dist. Rebuild after frontend changes. Packaging builds these assets automatically; renderer test assets are excluded from the VSIX.

Packaging

Package it locally.

npm run package

Installing

Install it locally.

npm run install-package dotenv-vscode-x.x.x.vsix

or install it by hand through Visual Studio Code.

Click Extensions > ... > Install from VSIX > Select dotenv-vscode-*-*-*.vsix

[1] https://community.particle.io/t/how-to-install-a-vscode-extension-from-a-vsix-file/51014 [2] https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/extension-marketplace#_install-from-a-vsix

Publishing

Publishing to the Visual Studio Marketplace and Open VSX runs automatically when a vX.Y.Z tag is pushed, after audit, lint, tests, and packaging pass. The tag must match the version in package.json. Each registry has an independent job, so a failure at one does not cancel publishing to the other.

One-time setup: add a repository Actions secret named VSCE_PAT in GitHub under Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions. Use a valid Marketplace token with the Manage scope and access to the dotenv publisher.

For Open VSX, complete the publisher setup:

Sign in to Open VSX with GitHub, link your Eclipse account, and review and accept the Publisher Agreement.
Generate an Open VSX access token and save it as the repository Actions secret OVSX_PAT.
Ensure the token's account can publish to the dotenv namespace (the publisher in package.json). If it does not exist, set OVSX_PAT in your local environment and run npx --no-install ovsx create-namespace dotenv. If it already exists, obtain membership instead. Marketplace publisher access does not grant Open VSX access.
Claim namespace ownership to have the extension marked as verified.

From a clean, up-to-date master branch, create and push the next release:

npm version patch
git push origin master --follow-tags

npm version patch updates the package files and creates the version commit and annotated tag. Use a new version for each release; already published versions cannot be published again. No publishing tokens are needed on your machine for the tag workflow. If only one registry fails, fix its credentials or access and use GitHub Actions Re-run failed jobs to retry only that registry.

To publish manually instead:

npm run login -- dotenv
npm run publish

To publish a packaged version to Open VSX manually, set OVSX_PAT in your local environment, then run:

npm run package
npx --no-install ovsx publish dotenv-vscode-X.Y.Z.vsix --registryUrl https://open-vsx.org

Replace X.Y.Z with the version in package.json. This also lets you publish an existing Marketplace release to Open VSX without trying to republish it to the Marketplace. The Open VSX token is separate from VSCE_PAT; keep both out of the repository.

[1] https://code.visualstudio.com/api/working-with-extensions/publishing-extension#publishing-extensions [2] https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/manage/publishers/dotenv