BoltS [Beta]

The Lightning-Fast Script Launcher

Tired of memorizing script paths or switching to a terminal to run them? BoltS pins a Script Menu to your status bar—one click, pick a script by alias, and it runs in the integrated terminal.

What is BoltS?

BoltS is a VS Code extension that gives you one-click access to your shell scripts. Configure a list of scripts (with friendly aliases and paths) in settings; click BoltS in the status bar to open a searchable Quick Pick menu and run any script in the integrated terminal.

Why Use BoltS?

• Aliases: Use names like "Reset DB" or "Deploy" instead of remembering full paths
• Global Access: Run scripts outside your workspace (e.g. ~/scripts/backup.sh) as well as project-local ones
• Zero-Clutter UI: Stays in the status bar until you need it—no panels or sidebars
• Path Flexibility: Paths can be workspace-relative (./scripts/...), home-relative (~/scripts/...), or absolute
• Visible Output: Scripts run in the integrated terminal so you see output and can interact if the script prompts for input
• Searchable Menu: Quick Pick lets you type to filter scripts by alias
• Configurable Scope: Choose whether BoltS reads scripts from global (user), project (workspace), or effective (workspace overrides user) settings
• Per-Script Shell & Args: Give each script its own arguments and preferred shell (PowerShell, CMD, Bash, Git Bash, WSL, or sh)
• OS-Aware Behavior: Override path, args, or shell per OS so one alias can behave differently on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Getting Started

Installation

1. Open VS Code or Cursor
2. Go to the Extensions view
3. Search for BoltS
4. Click Install

First Steps

1. Open Settings and find BoltS: Scripts (bolts.scripts), or add to your settings.json:
2. Add script entries with an alias (display name) and path (script location):

"bolts.scripts": [
  { "alias": "Reset DB", "path": "./scripts/reset-db.sh" },
  { "alias": "Deploy", "path": "~/scripts/deploy.sh" }
]

3. Click the BoltS icon (⚡) in the status bar
4. Pick a script from the Quick Pick list—it runs in a new BoltS terminal

Commands

• BoltS: Open menu (run / add / manage) – Open the unified BoltS menu from the Command Palette
• BoltS: Run script – Show the script picker directly
• BoltS: Add script – Add a new script via a guided UI, choosing where to save it (User or Workspace)
• BoltS: Manage scripts (edit/delete) – Edit or delete existing scripts per scope (user or workspace)

How It Works

Path Resolution

• ./path – Relative to the workspace root (or home if no folder is open)
• ~/path – Relative to your home directory (Mac, Linux, Windows)
• /path or C:\path – Absolute path, used as-is

Settings

Configure scripts in BoltS: Scripts (bolts.scripts). Each entry can have:

• alias – Label shown in the menu (e.g. "Reset DB", "Deploy")
• path – Path to the script using the rules above
• args – Optional arguments passed to the script (e.g. --env prod)
• shell – Optional shell/terminal to run this script in (falls back to bolts.defaultShell when omitted)
• windows / linux / darwin – Optional per-OS overrides for path, args, and shell

If the resolved path does not exist, BoltS shows an error and does not run the script.

Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.

Support the Project

If BoltS helps your workflow, you can support the project (no pressure):

Need Help?

• Overview: See docs/OVERVIEW.md for the full spec and development overview
• Issues: Found a bug or have an idea? Open an issue on GitHub
• Repository: github.com/iNandi/bolts

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Made with ❤️ by Gobinda Nandi