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README.md

MindCtx for VS Code

Markdown-first structured outline editor with mind map view for Visual Studio Code.

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

Search for "MindCtx" in the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).

From VSIX

Download the .vsix file from the latest release and install via:

code --install-extension vscode-mindctx-0.0.1.vsix

Usage

Creating a MindCtx File

  • Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P): "MindCtx: Create New File"
  • Create any .mind.md file — it opens automatically with the MindCtx editor

Opening Existing Files

Any file matching *.mind.md opens in the MindCtx editor by default. You can also right-click a .md file in the Explorer and select "MindCtx: Open with MindCtx".

Commands

Command Keybinding Description
MindCtx: Create New File — Create a new .mind.md file
MindCtx: Open with MindCtx — Open current file in MindCtx editor
MindCtx: Toggle View Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+M Switch between outline and mind map
MindCtx: Expand All Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+E Expand all collapsed nodes
MindCtx: Collapse All Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+C Collapse all nodes
MindCtx: Export as OPML — Export to OPML format
MindCtx: Export as JSON — Export tree as JSON
MindCtx: Export as PNG — Export mind map as PNG image
MindCtx: Import OPML — Import from OPML file
MindCtx: Import FreeMind — Import from .mm file
MindCtx: Copy as AI Context — Copy structured content to clipboard

Features

Custom Editor Integration

MindCtx registers as a VS Code Custom Editor for .mind.md files. This means:

  • Native undo/redo integration (Ctrl+Z/Ctrl+Shift+Z works through VS Code's undo stack)
  • File dirty state tracked by VS Code (dot indicator on tab)
  • Auto-save supported
  • Multiple editors can view the same document simultaneously

Theme Adaptation

Automatically follows your VS Code color theme:

  • Light themes
  • Dark themes
  • High contrast themes

View State Persistence

Your view preferences are saved per file:

  • Active view (outline or mind map)
  • Collapsed/expanded node state

External File Change Detection

If the .mind.md file is modified by another process (e.g., git pull, external editor), MindCtx detects the change and updates automatically.

Settings

Configure in VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) under "MindCtx":

Setting Default Description
mindctx.defaultView outline Default view when opening files
mindctx.headingDepth 4 Maximum heading depth (deeper = list items)
mindctx.autoSaveDelay 300 Auto-save debounce in milliseconds
mindctx.outlineFontSize 14 Outline view font size (px)
mindctx.showNotePreview true Show note preview next to titles
mindctx.mindmapDirection side Mind map layout: side, right, or left

Development

This package is part of the MindCtx monorepo. From the repository root:

pnpm install
pnpm --filter vscode-mindctx dev    # watch mode (rebuilds on change)
pnpm --filter vscode-mindctx build  # production build

To test in VS Code:

  1. Run pnpm --filter vscode-mindctx dev
  2. Open the packages/vscode folder in VS Code
  3. Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
  4. Open any .mind.md file in the development host

Build Output

  • dist/extension.js — Extension host (Node.js, CJS)
  • dist/webview.js — Webview UI (browser, IIFE)
  • dist/webview.css — Webview styles

License

MIT