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@getrapidkit getrapidkit released this 03 Dec 22:13
· 181 commits to main since this release
v0.4.0
c1f0077

Release Notes - RapidKit VS Code Extension v0.4.0

Release Date: December 3, 2025

🚀 MAJOR RELEASE: Complete Migration to npm Package

This is a major version with breaking architectural changes. The extension has been completely refactored to use the RapidKit npm package instead of Python CLI, resulting in a simpler, faster, and more reliable experience.

🎯 What's New

♻️ Complete Architecture Overhaul

  • No Python Required! - Extension now uses npx rapidkit (npm package) exclusively
  • Faster Project Creation - 2-5s instead of 10-30s (Python environment setup eliminated)
  • Single Source of Truth - All templates managed by npm package
  • Smaller Extension - No bundled templates (reduced complexity)
  • Better Reliability - Simplified codebase with fewer dependencies
  • Non-Interactive Mode - All CLI commands use --yes flag for seamless execution

✨ New Features

Smart Location Detection

3-Scenario Detection System:

  1. Workspace Already Selected → Uses it directly
  2. In RapidKit Workspace → Detects and uses current workspace
  3. No Workspace → Asks user: Default vs Custom location

Default Workspace:

  • Location: ~/RapidKit/rapidkits/
  • Auto-created if doesn't exist
  • Automatically registered in workspace manager

Custom Locations:

  • Full support for user-selected directories
  • Works outside RapidKit folder structure
  • Marker files created for extension recognition
  • Auto-registration after project creation

Button-Style Actions UI

Professional action buttons in sidebar:

  • ✨ Create New Workspace
  • ✨ Create FastAPI Project
  • ✨ Create NestJS Project
  • ✨ Open Documentation

Similar to Source Control view for better UX!

Direct Framework Commands

New commands for faster workflow:

  • rapidkit.createFastAPIProject - Skip framework selection
  • rapidkit.createNestJSProject - Skip framework selection
  • rapidkit.openDocs - Quick access to documentation

Dual-Mode Project Creation

Choose how you want to create projects:

🏢 Workspace Mode

# Create workspace container
npx rapidkit my-workspace --yes

# Create projects inside
cd my-workspace
rapidkit create my-api --template fastapi --yes
rapidkit create admin-api --template nestjs --yes

📦 Standalone Mode

# Create independent project
npx rapidkit my-api --template fastapi --yes

Enhanced Workspace Validation

No More Annoying Dialogs!

  • Accepts .rapidkit/ directory (npm CLI created workspaces)
  • Accepts .rapidkit-workspace marker (extension created workspaces)
  • Supports both old and new marker signatures
  • Silently skips invalid folders instead of prompting

Enhanced User Experience

  • ✅ Smart location defaults
  • ✅ No confirmation dialogs
  • ✅ Better progress indicators
  • ✅ Automatic project verification
  • ✅ Contextual error messages with help links
  • ✅ Cleaner, more intuitive wizards
  • ✅ Parent directory auto-creation

🔄 Breaking Changes

Removed Dependencies

  • ❌ Python CLI: No longer required or used
  • ❌ Poetry: Not needed anymore
  • ❌ virtualenv: Not needed anymore
  • ❌ Demo Mode: Replaced with standard npm package workflow

Simplified Configuration

Before (v0.3.x):

interface WorkspaceConfig {
  name: string;
  path: string;
  mode: 'demo' | 'full';           // ❌ Removed
  installMethod: string;            // ❌ Removed
  pythonVersion: string;            // ❌ Removed
  initGit: boolean;
}

interface ProjectConfig {
  name: string;
  kit: string;                      // ❌ Removed
  framework: string;
  modules: string[];                // ❌ Removed
  author: string;                   // ❌ Removed
  license: string;                  // ❌ Removed
  description: string;              // ❌ Removed
  packageManager?: string;
}

After (v0.4.0):

interface WorkspaceConfig {
  name: string;
  path: string;
  initGit: boolean;
}

interface ProjectConfig {
  name: string;
  framework: 'fastapi' | 'nestjs';
  packageManager?: string;          // For NestJS only
}

Updated Commands

Command Before (v0.3.x) After (v0.4.0)
Create Workspace Python CLI with demo mode npx rapidkit <name>
Create Project Python CLI with kit selection npx rapidkit <name> --template <template>
Generate Demo Python scripts npx rapidkit <name> --template fastapi

📦 Installation & Requirements

Requirements

  • VS Code: 1.85.0 or higher
  • Node.js: 18+ (for npm package)
  • Python 3.10+ ❌ NO LONGER REQUIRED!
  • Poetry ❌ NO LONGER REQUIRED!

Installation

  1. From VS Code Marketplace:

    • Search for "RapidKit"
    • Click Install

  2. From VSIX File:

    code --install-extension rapidkit-vscode-0.4.0.vsix

  3. Auto-update:

    • Extension will auto-update if you have v0.3.x installed

🎓 Migration Guide

For Existing Users

If you have v0.3.x installed:

Good News: Existing workspaces and projects continue to work! ✅

What Changes:

  • New workspaces use npm package workflow
  • New projects use --template flag
  • No Python CLI dependency needed

Workspace Migration:

Old Workspaces (v0.3.x):

  • Continue to work as-is
  • Can create new projects using npm package

New Workspaces (v0.4.0):

  • Created with npx rapidkit <name>
  • Cleaner structure
  • Local CLI in .rapidkit/bin/

Project Creation:

Before:

# Required Python CLI installed in workspace
rapidkit create project fastapi.standard my-api

After:

# Option 1: In workspace
rapidkit create my-api --template fastapi

# Option 2: Standalone
npx rapidkit my-api --template fastapi

🛠️ What's Changed

Core Changes

  1. RapidKitCLI Class - Complete rewrite

    • ✅ createWorkspace(options) - npm package workspace
    • ✅ createProject(options) - standalone project
    • ✅ createProjectInWorkspace(options) - project in workspace
    • ❌ Removed Python CLI calls

  2. Command Handlers - Refactored

    • ✅ createWorkspace - uses npm package
    • ✅ createProject - supports dual modes
    • ✅ generateDemo - simplified wrapper

  3. Wizards - Simplified

    • ✅ WorkspaceWizard - removed demo mode
    • ✅ ProjectWizard - removed kit/module selection
    • ✅ Fewer prompts, cleaner UX

  4. Type System - Streamlined

    • ✅ Removed unnecessary fields
    • ✅ Focused on essential config only

File Changes

9 files changed
+570 insertions
-443 deletions

Modified Files:

  • src/core/rapidkitCLI.ts (142 changes)
  • src/commands/createProject.ts (276 changes)
  • src/commands/generateDemo.ts (327 changes)
  • src/commands/createWorkspace.ts (98 changes)
  • src/ui/wizards/projectWizard.ts (74 deletions)
  • src/ui/wizards/workspaceWizard.ts (13 changes)
  • src/types/index.ts (8 deletions)
  • CHANGELOG.md (71 additions)
  • package.json (4 changes)

📊 Performance Comparison

Metric v0.3.x (Python) v0.4.0 (npm) Improvement
Workspace Creation 10-30s 2-5s 5-6x faster
Project Creation 15-45s 3-8s 4-5x faster
Extension Size 250 KB 308 KB +23% (better bundling)
Dependencies Python + Poetry + npm npm only Simplified
Template Updates Extension update npm package Always fresh

🐛 Bug Fixes

  • 🐛 Fixed interactive prompts blocking - Added --yes flag to prevent CLI from waiting for user input
  • 🐛 Fixed custom location not showing in list - Auto-registration ensures all workspaces appear
  • 🐛 Fixed workspace validation - Enhanced to accept both npm CLI and extension created workspaces
  • 🐛 Fixed "Add it anyway?" dialog - Removed annoying confirmation, now validates silently
  • 🐛 Fixed directory creation errors - Parent directories automatically created before CLI execution
  • 🐛 Fixed import order conflict - Resolved path variable shadowing in createProject.ts
  • Fixed empty catch blocks causing ESLint errors
  • Improved error handling with contextual help
  • Better project verification after creation
  • Fixed TypeScript compilation issues

🔍 Known Issues

  • ESLint warnings for unused _error variables (non-critical, existing issue)
  • Requires internet connection for npx rapidkit first run (caches afterward)

📚 Documentation

Quick Start

Create a Workspace:

Ctrl+Shift+P → RapidKit: Create Workspace

Create a Project:

Ctrl+Shift+P → RapidKit: Create Project
→ Choose: Workspace or Standalone
→ Select framework: FastAPI or NestJS

Generate Demo:

Ctrl+Shift+P → RapidKit: Generate Demo Project

Learn More

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • RapidKit npm package team for the stable release
  • Community feedback on Python CLI issues
  • Contributors to the refactoring effort

💬 Feedback

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

🔮 What's Next (v0.5.0)

  • VS Code extension module management UI
  • Project dashboard enhancements
  • Template preview improvements
  • Better TypeScript/FastAPI IntelliSense

Made with 🚀 by RapidKit

⭐ Star us on GitHub

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