Simple command

"Toggle activity": "workbench.action.toggleActivityBarVisibility",

Command with arguments

"Typing": {
    "command": "editor.action.insertSnippet",
    "args": {
        "snippet": "Typing... ",
    },
},

Multiple commands (sequence)

"Toggle multiple settings": {
    "sequence": [
        "editor.action.toggleMinimap",
        "workbench.action.toggleStatusbarVisibility",
    ],
},

Tree View icons list | colors

"GitHub": {
    "icon": "github",
},
"Flame": {
    "icon": "flame",
    "iconColor": "errorForeground",
},

Folders (nested items)

"folder": {
    "nestedItems": {
        "Flame": {
            "icon": "flame",
            "iconColor": "errorForeground",
        },
        "Trusted": {
            "icon": "workspace-trusted",
            "iconColor": "terminal.ansiGreen",
        },
    },
},

Quick Pick commands.openAsQuickPick

Status Bar

"Toggle line numbers": {
    "command": "commands.toggleSetting",
    "args": {
        "setting": "editor.lineNumbers",
        "value": [
            "on",
            "off",
        ],
    },
    "statusBar": {
        "alignment": "left",
        "text": "🔢",
        "priority": -9999,
    },
},

Commands (6)

Command	Description
commands.openAsQuickPick	Commands: Open as Quick Pick
commands.selectAndRun	Commands: Select and run command
commands.rerun	Commands: Rerun last command
commands.suggestCommands	Commands: Suggest (autocomplete) commands
commands.newCommand	Commands: Add new command to the list
commands.escapeCommandUriArgument	Commands: Escape command uri argument

Settings (10)

Setting	Default	Description
commands.commands	{}	Main extension property. Commands that will be rendered in the View.
commands.alias	{}	Use shorter command ids.
commands.treeViewCollapseFolders	false	Collapse folders by default. Requires reload before being applied.
commands.statusBarDefaultText	"same"	Controls the text of Status Bar item when adding from Tree View context menu.
commands.statusBarDefaultPosition	"left"	Where to put command on Status Bar (left or right).
commands.populateCommandPalette	false	Adds all items to Command Palette (Requires editor reload after every change of main config #commands.commands#).
commands.documentLinksEnabled	false	Run commands as links in documents. Links have format @command?args@. issues/2
commands.documentLinksPattern	""	Glob for #commands.documentLinksEnabled#. Example: **/*.{ts,js} - only enable in TypeScript & JavaScript files.
commands.variableSubstitutionEnabled	false	Allow "args" (of type string) to contain some of the variables from variables-reference. Supported: - ${file} - the current opened file absolute path - ${fileBasename} - the current opened file's basename - ${fileBasenameNoExtension} - the current opened file's basename with no file extension - ${fileExtname} - the current opened file's extension - ${fileDirname} - the current opened file's dirname - ${fileWorkspaceFolder} - the path of the folder opened in VS Code - ${workspaceFolderBasename} - the name of the folder opened in VS Code without any slashes (/) - ${execPath} - location of Code.exe - ${pathSeparator} - / on macOS or linux, \ on Windows - ${lineNumber} - the current selected line number in the active file - ${selectedText} - the current selected text in the active file
commands.toggleSettings.showNotification	false	When enabled - show notification after using commands.toggleSetting or commands.incrementSetting.

// Command object structure
interface CommandObject {
    command: string;// command id to execute
    args?: unknown;// command arguments to execute
    delay?: number;// delay BEFORE execution
    icon?: string;// icon id https://code.visualstudio.com/api/references/icons-in-labels#icon-listing
    iconColor?: string;// color id https://code.visualstudio.com/api/references/theme-color
    disableTooltip?: boolean;// do not show the hover tooltip for this Tree View Item
    statusBar?: {// add to status bar
        alignment: 'left' | 'right';
        text: string;
        priority?: number;
        tooltip?: string;
        markdownTooltip?: string;
        color?: string;
        hidden?: boolean;
    };
    hidden?: boolean;// Do not show this in Tree View

    sequence?: (CommandObject | string)[];// execute multipe commands

    nestedItems: {// Group items into a folder (1 lvl max)
        [key: string]: CommandObject
    }
}

Built-in commands (with args)

type Type text into active editor

"Typing": {
    "command": "type",
    "args": {
        "text": "---",
    },
},

workbench.action.tasks.runTask Run task by its label

// tasks.json
{
    "label": "hello",
    "type": "shell",
    "command": "echo Hello",
},
// commands
"Run task": {
    "command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
    "args": "hello",
},

editor.action.insertSnippet Insert Snippet

"Insert snippet": {
    "command": "editor.action.insertSnippet",
    "args": {
        "snippet": "$BLOCK_COMMENT_START ${0:?} $BLOCK_COMMENT_END",
    },
},

workbench.action.terminal.sendSequence Send text to active terminal

"Terminal: Run Watch": {
    "command": "workbench.action.terminal.sendSequence",
    "args": {
        "text": "npm run watch\r",
    },
},

workbench.action.quickOpen Quick access

Can open Quick Pick with prefilled prefix (@... - symbol, view ... - open view, ...)

"Quick open (symbol)": {
    "command": "workbench.action.quickOpen",
    "args": "?",
},

workbench.action.openSettings Open settings with prefilled input value

"Open Settings": {
    "command": "workbench.action.openSettings",
    "args": "commands",
},

workbench.action.openGlobalKeybindings Open keybindings with prefilled value

"Quick Keybindings Editor": {
    "command": "workbench.action.openGlobalKeybindings",
    "args": "commands.",
},

workbench.extensions.search Open Extensions View with prefilled value

"Quick Extensions View": {
    "command": "workbench.extensions.search",
    "args": "@builtin",
},

editor.action.codeAction Execute code action

"Organize imports": {
    "command": "editor.action.codeAction",
    "args": {
        "kind": "source.organizeImports",
    },
},

workbench.action.findInFiles Open search with specified args

"Search with args": {
    "command": "workbench.action.findInFiles",
    "args": {
        "query": "TODO",
        "isRegex": false,
        "isCaseSensitive": false,
        "matchWholeWord": false,
        "preserveCase": false,
        "excludeSettingAndIgnoreFiles": true,
        "triggerSearch": true,
        "onlyOpenEditors": false,
        // "replace": "",
        // "filesToInclude": "",
        // "filesToExclude": "",
    },
},

search.action.openNewEditor Open Search Editor with specified args

"Open search editor with args": {
    "command": "search.action.openNewEditor",
    "args": {
        "query": "TODO",
        "isRegexp": false,
        "isCaseSensitive": false,
        "matchWholeWord": false,
        "preserveCase": false,
        "excludeSettingAndIgnoreFiles": true,
        "triggerSearch": true,
        "contextLines": 2,
        "showIncludesExcludes": true,
        // "filesToInclude": "",
        // "filesToExclude": "",
    },
},

cursorMove Move cursor to a logical position in the view

Arguments object:

• to A mandatory logical position value providing where to move the cursor.

'left', 'right', 'up', 'down', 'prevBlankLine', 'nextBlankLine', 'wrappedLineStart', 'wrappedLineEnd', 'wrappedLineColumnCenter' 'wrappedLineFirstNonWhitespaceCharacter', 'wrappedLineLastNonWhitespaceCharacter' 'viewPortTop', 'viewPortCenter', 'viewPortBottom', 'viewPortIfOutside'

• by Unit to move. Default is computed based on 'to' value.

'line', 'wrappedLine', 'character', 'halfLine'

• value Number of units to move. Default is '1'.
• select If 'true' makes the selection. Default is 'false'.

"Cursor move 10 down": {
    "command": "cursorMove",
    "args": {
        "to": "down",
        "by": "line",
        "value": 10,
    },
},

editorScroll Scroll editor in the given direction

Arguments object:

• to A mandatory direction value.(up or down)
• by Unit to move. Default is computed based on 'to' value. (line, wrappedLine, page, halfPage)
• value: Number of units to move. Default is 1.
• revealCursor: If 'true' reveals the cursor if it is outside view port.

"Scroll 10 lines down": {
    "command": "editorScroll",
    "args": {
        "to": "down",
        "by": "line",
        "value": 10,
        "revealCursor": true,
    },
},

moveActiveEditor Move the active editor by tabs or groups

• to String value providing where to move (left or right)
• by String value providing the unit for move (by tab or by group).
• value Number value providing how many positions or an absolute position to move.

"Move editor to the left": {
    "command": "moveActiveEditor",
    "args": {
        "to": "left",
        "by": "tab",
        "value": 50,
    },
},

vscode.setEditorLayout Sets the editor layout.

Example for a 2x2 grid:

"2x2 grid": {
    "command": "vscode.setEditorLayout",
    "args": { "orientation": 0, "groups": [{ "groups": [{}, {}], "size": 0.5 }, { "groups": [{}, {}], "size": 0.5 }] },
},

editor.emmet.action.wrapWithAbbreviation Wrap text with emmet

"Wrap in div": {
    "command": "editor.emmet.action.wrapWithAbbreviation",
    "args": {
        "abbreviation": "div",
        "language": "html",
    },
},

vscode.openIssueReporter Opens the issue reporter with the provided extension id as the selected source.

• extensionId - extensionId to report an issue on

"Issue: preselect extension": {
    "command": "vscode.openIssueReporter",
    "args": "usernamehw.commands",
},

workbench.extensions.installExtension Install extension by id

"Install extension": {
    "command": "workbench.extensions.installExtension",
    "args": "usernamehw.errorlens",
},

workbench.extensions.uninstallExtension Uninstall extension by id

"Uninstall extension": {
    "command": "workbench.extensions.uninstallExtension",
    "args": "usernamehw.errorlens",
},

Additional commands

commands.toggleSetting Toggle settings

"Toggle indent guides": {
    "command": "commands.toggleSetting",
    "args": "editor.renderIndentGuides",// string - toggle boolean
},

"Switch themes": {
    "command": "commands.toggleSetting",
    "args": {
        "setting": "workbench.colorTheme",
        "value": ["Monokai", "Kimbie Dark"],
    },
    "icon": "symbol-color",
},

"Set/reset setting": {
    "command": "commands.toggleSetting",
    "args": {
        "setting": "window.zoomLevel",
        "value": [0],
    },
},

commands.incrementSetting Increment/decrement setting

"Font size ++": {
    "command": "commands.incrementSetting",
    "args": {
        "setting": "editor.fontSize",
        "value": 0.5,
    },
},

"Font size --": {
    "command": "commands.incrementSetting",
    "args": {
        "setting": "editor.fontSize",
        "value": -0.5,
    },
},

commands.toggleTheme Toggle themes by groups (depending on active theme kind)

"Toggle Themes": {
    "command": "commands.toggleTheme",
    "args": {
        "dark": "Default Dark+,GitHub Dark",
        "light": "Default Light+,GitHub Light",
    },
},

commands.openFolder Open file/folder in vscode

"Open file": {
    "command": "commands.openFolder",
    "args": "C:\\temp\\temp.txt",
},
"Open folder": {
    "command": "commands.openFolder",
    "args": "C:\\temp",
},

commands.runInTerminal Create new terminal and send text

"Terminal => watch (string argument)": {
    "command": "commands.runInTerminal",
    "args": "npm run watch"
},
"Terminal => watch": {
    "command": "commands.runInTerminal",
    "args": {
        "text": "npm run watch",
        "name": "watch",
        "reveal": true,
        // "cwd": "",
    },
},

commands.startDebugging Start debugging by "name" property from launch.json

"Debug extension": {
    "command": "commands.startDebugging",
    "args": "Extension",
},

commands.setEditorLanguage Change active editor language id

"Set Language JavaScript": {
    "command": "commands.setEditorLanguage",
    "args": "javascript",
},

commands.clipboardWrite Write text to clipboard

"Populate clipboard": {
    "command": "commands.clipboardWrite",
    "args": "||||||||",
},

commands.showNotification Show VSCode notification

"Msg": {
    "command": "commands.showNotification",
    "args": "info msg",
},
"Msg error": {
    "command": "commands.showNotification",
    "args": {
        "severity": "error",// "warning" | "info"
        "message": "bad",
    },
},

commands.showStatusBarNotification Show notification in status bar

"Notification in status bar": {
    "command": "commands.showStatusBarNotification",
    "args": {
        "message": "Read me fast",
        "color": "#f00",
        "timeout": 1000,
    },
},

commands.openExternal Open link in default browser

"Open google.com": {
    "command": "commands.openExternal",
    "args": "https://www.google.com",
},
"Open Extension Preview": {
    "command": "commands.openExternal",
    "args": "vscode:extension/usernamehw.commands",
},

commands.open Open file in default app (Uses open)

"Open in default app": {
    "command": "commands.open",
    "args": "C:\\temp\\img.png",
},
"Open in specified app": {
    "command": "commands.open",
    "args": {
        "target": "C:\\temp\\img.png",
        "app": "firefox",// Or absolute path
        "arguments": ["-devtools"],
    },
},

commands.revealFileInOS Open OS file explorer and reveal the specified path

"commands.revealFileInOS": {
    "command": "commands.revealFileInOS",
    "args": "C:/Users",
},

Upstream issues

Please upvote the following VS Code issues:

• Provide some richer (optional) UI for custom tree views
• Allow TreeItem.label to support MarkdownString

Miscellaneous

More examples

Status bar granular zoom in/out buttons:

"commands.commands": {
    "Zoom in": {
        "icon": "zoom-in",
        "statusBar": {},
        "command": "commands.incrementSetting",
        "args": {
            "setting": "window.zoomLevel",
            "value": 0.1,
        },
    },
    "Zoom out": {
        "icon": "zoom-out",
        "statusBar": {},
        "command": "commands.incrementSetting",
        "args": {
            "setting": "window.zoomLevel",
            "value": -0.1,
        },
    },
},