VSCode Working Memory

Plaintext productivity with a single file

Single file plaintext productivity - Access your Working Memory file from anywhere in VSCode.

It doen't matter if you are working on a project, reading documentation, or browsing the web. You can quickly capture your thoughts and ideas to a single file without the need to open it.

Fork of VSCode Daily Notes extension.

Icon created by DALL-E.

Idea

The core of the idea is to use a single text file as a trusted capture mechanism.

If you spend a lot of time in VSCode during your workday, jumping from one workspace/project to another, you can leverage Working Memory to capture important information throughout your work day.

This extension allows you to easily open a single text or markdown file from anywhere or quickly capture something to this file without the need to open it.

The file itself does not have a specific structure. It starts with a second-level markdown header ## Capture and contains several empty lines.

When you append lines to the file using Alt+I, the text will be inserted below the ## Capture heading, surrounded by empty lines. This ensures that the captured text stands out when you revisit your Working Memory text file.

Features

• Conveniently access your Working Memory with a shortcut: Alt+M
• Capture to Working Memory from anywhere with a shortcut: Alt+I
• Preview your Working Memory in VSCode with: Ctrl+Shift+V

Installation

View in VSCode Marketplace for more info.

Launch VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P) and enter:

ext install atomashevic.vscode-working-memory

Usage

There are 2 ways to open Working Memory:

1. VSCode Command: Press Ctrl+Shift+P or F1, then type Working Memory: Open
2. Shortcut Key-bind: Press Alt+M

If the Working Memory file is already open:

• Press Ctrl+W to close the file
• Press Ctrl+S to save the file

You have the flexibility to save your note file anywhere:

1. Create a new file wm.md
2. Copy the path of the file
3. Set the workingmemory.filePath in the configuration.

Using Alt+M, you can quickly insert a note without opening the Working Memory file by pressing Alt+I.

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• workingmemory.filePath: The complete location of the file to be used. When empty the file will be created in the user's home directory.
  • Sample path for Windows: c:/Users/John/wm.md
  • Sample path for Mac or Linux: Users/john/wm.md

Roadmap

General improvements: optional structuring of the Working Memory file and improvements to context-specific capture/append commands.

• Quickly insert code from other files as Markdown code blocks in Working Memory (in a separate section).
• Option to place Working Memory in the sidebar similar to Sidebar Markdown Notes

Contributing

• Pull requests are welcome for features and bug fixes
• Feel free to create issues when you encounter problems

License

The extension is available as open source under the terms of the MIT License.