Plugin Overview
The SERP VS Code extension brings the full SERP development workflow into the editor. It provides an architecture explorer, live deployment control, an interactive runtime inspector, and role-scoped AI sessions — all tightly integrated with your SERP workspace.
- Open VS Code.
- Go to the Extensions panel (
Ctrl+Shift+X/Cmd+Shift+X). - Search for SERP.
- Click Install.
Alternatively, open the VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P) and run:
ext install serp
| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| A SERP workspace open in VS Code | The extension activates when it detects specs/serp.sidl in the workspace root |
serp-dev package installed |
Provides the serpgen CLI used for validation and code generation |
grpcurl (macOS) |
Required for the Runtime Inspector when using the gRPC transport |
gdbus (Linux) |
Required for the Runtime Inspector when using the DBus transport; available by default as part of glib |
The extension activates automatically when a SERP workspace is opened (detected by the presence of specs/serp.sidl).
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Explorer | Project tree: deployments, services, spec files, source files. Validate and regenerate from the panel. |
| Active Deployment | Build, run, stop. Shows processes, hosted services, links to implementation and generated files. |
| Architecture Dashboard | Interactive live view: process cards, live CPU/MEM stats, dependency arrows, one-click detail panels. |
| Runtime Inspector | Call methods, read and watch properties, subscribe to notifications. Works over gRPC or DBus. No client code needed. |
| SERP AI | Scoped Claude Code sessions per role. Context guard and scope guard hooks enforce focus and prevent out-of-scope writes. |
The extension adds three items to the VS Code status bar:
- Active Deployment selector (left side, high priority) — shows the currently selected deployment; click to switch.
-
Build Profile selector (left side) — shows the active build profile (
Auto,Dev (gRPC),Dev (DBus),Release); click to change. - Run State indicator — shows whether the deployment is running, stopped, or in an unknown state.
| Action | macOS | Linux / Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Validate specs | Ctrl+Option+V |
Ctrl+Alt+V |
| Generate | Ctrl+Option+G |
Ctrl+Alt+G |
| Architecture Dashboard | Ctrl+Option+D |
Ctrl+Alt+D |
| Build | Ctrl+Option+B |
Ctrl+Alt+B |
| Run | Ctrl+Option+R |
Ctrl+Alt+R |
| Stop | Ctrl+Option+S |
Ctrl+Alt+S |
All shortcuts are also available via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) by searching for SERP:.
All commands are registered under the serp.explorer.* and serp.ai.* namespaces. You can browse the full list in the Command Palette by typing SERP.
- Explorer — Project tree, file navigation, toolbar actions
- Architecture Dashboard — Live process view, dependency arrows, per-process controls
- Runtime Inspector — Call methods, watch properties, subscribe to notifications
- Build Profiles — Choosing a build profile for runtime debugging
- SERP AI Sessions — Role-scoped Claude Code sessions, context guard, scope guard