VS Code and Open VSX spec

How could an editor launch ProtoPeek without cloning it?

Planned · not shipped

Launch helper
Small extension target
No duplicate client

Evidence path How could an editor launch ProtoPeek without cloning it?

One local path. Each boundary stays visible.

Goal: ship a helper extension that stays under roughly 1 MB unpacked while still being useful.

Scope

Detect .proto files and surface a “Open in ProtoPeek” command.
Let users configure a default target such as localhost:50051.
Offer quick actions for:
Run protopeek -plaintext localhost:50051
Open the learn page
Open the current workspace export

What not to include

No embedded browser engine.
No large icon packs.
No bundled protobuf compiler.
No full request authoring inside the extension.

The extension should stay a launch-and-link helper, not a second client implementation.

Suggested files

extension.ts
package.json
media/icon.png

Suggested commands

protopeek.open
protopeek.openWithTarget
protopeek.learnGrpc

Suggested agent rules

Never parse protos in the extension when the CLI can do it.
Prefer shelling out to protopeek instead of duplicating transport logic.
Keep command strings transparent and editable by the user.
Make failure states actionable: missing binary, reflection disabled, target unreachable.