VSCode Extension

The Brainfile extension brings a visual kanban board directly into VSCode. See your tasks in the sidebar, drag and drop between columns, and stay in your editor.

Installation

1. Open VSCode
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Brainfile"
4. Click Install

Or install from the command line:

code --install-extension brainfile.brainfile

Features

Kanban Board View

The extension adds a Brainfile panel to your sidebar. Open any project with a brainfile.md file and the board appears automatically.

• Columns — Your workflow stages (To Do, In Progress, Done)
• Tasks — Cards showing title, priority, tags
• Drag & Drop — Move tasks between columns visually

Real-time Sync

All tools stay in sync

The extension watches your brainfile.md for changes. Edits from the CLI, AI assistants, or direct file changes appear instantly. No refresh needed.

Task Details

Click a task to see:

• Full description
• Subtasks with completion status
• Assignee and due date
• Related files
• Tags and priority

Quick Actions

• Add Task — Click + in any column
• Edit Task — Click the edit icon
• Delete Task — Right-click menu
• Move Task — Drag between columns

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File Discovery

The extension looks for brainfile in this order:

1. brainfile.md (preferred)
2. .brainfile.md (hidden, backward compat)

If found, the kanban view activates automatically.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Cmd+Shift+B	Toggle Brainfile panel
Cmd+Shift+N	New task in current column

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Settings

Configure via VSCode settings (Cmd+,):

{
  "brainfile.defaultFile": "brainfile.md",
  "brainfile.showInActivityBar": true
}

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Troubleshooting

Board not showing

1. Ensure brainfile.md exists in your workspace root
2. Check the file is valid YAML (run brainfile lint)
3. Reload the window (Cmd+Shift+P → "Reload Window")

Changes not syncing

The extension uses file watching. If changes aren't appearing:

1. Save the file explicitly
2. Check VSCode's file watcher isn't rate-limited
3. Reload the window

Invalid YAML errors

Quick fix

Run brainfile lint --fix to auto-fix common issues like unquoted strings with colons.

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Works With

The VSCode extension complements other Brainfile tools:

• CLI — Use both interchangeably
• MCP Server — AI updates appear in real-time
• TUI — Terminal users see the same data

All tools read the same brainfile.md file.

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Source Code

The extension is open source:

• GitHub Repository
• Issue Tracker

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Next Steps

• CLI & TUI — Command-line interface
• MCP Server — AI integration
• Quick Start — Getting started guide