cbacon

cbacon is a Rust-based tool that reads a bacon file containing line references and opens the first reference location in Visual Studio Code (VSCode). It emulates a Python script by automatically opening your project workspace in VSCode, parsing warning/error messages from a file, and navigating directly to the relevant file location using VSCode's --goto and --wait flags.

bacon is a background code checker. It's designed for minimal interaction so that you can just let it run, alongside your editor, and be notified of warnings.

I've been using a simple python script to provide an experience much like nvim-bacon but for vscode. Run bacon, run cbacon. I decided to make it into a rust program too.

Combined with bacon, cbacon navigates between errors and warnings without leaving your editor, just hitting a key. (close the current editor/workspace)

I would like to see something like this integrated into bacon itself, but in the meantime, here is how I use bacon sometimes.

Features

• Workspace Integration: Opens the current directory as a VSCode workspace so that Rust Analyzer and other extensions process the project.

• Warning File Parsing: Reads a bacon file (default: .bacon-locations) containing warning messages formatted as:

  warning <file_path>::

• File Navigation: Opens the first warning location in VSCode and waits until you close the file before re-checking for updates.

• Continuous Monitoring: Automatically re-reads the bacon file for any updates after the warning file is closed.

• File Watcher Support: Optionally uses a file system watcher (via the notify crate) to monitor for modifications in the bacon file.

Installation

Ensure you have Rust installed. Then, clone the repository and build the project:

git clone <repository-url>
cd cbacon
cargo build --release

Replace with the actual URL of the repository.

Usage

Run cbacon with an optional path to the bacon file. If no path is specified, it defaults to .bacon-locations in the current directory:

cargo run -- <path_to_bacon_file>

For example:

cargo run -- .bacon-locations

Note: Make sure the "code" command (VSCode) is available in your system's PATH. Verify with:

code --version

Testing

The project includes a suite of tests to ensure proper functionality. Run the tests with:

cargo test

The tests cover:

• Parsing of warning messages from the bacon file.
• Correct handling of file paths and line numbers.
• Integration with the VSCode command.
• File watcher behavior when using the uses_notify feature.

License

cbacon is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.

Author

David Horner

Last Updated

March 15, 2025