vscode-front-matter/lite

Front Matter CMS (Lite)

This is the lite version of Front Matter CMS designed specifically for virtual workspaces such as github.dev and vscode.dev.

What is a Virtual Workspace?

Virtual workspaces allow you to work with code directly in your browser without cloning a repository locally. This includes:

• github.dev - Press . on any GitHub repository
• vscode.dev - Open VS Code in your browser
• GitHub Codespaces - Cloud-based development environments

Features

The lite version provides core content management functionality:

✅ Supported Features

• Metadata Panel - View and edit front matter for the currently open markdown file
• Register Content Folders - Right-click on folders in the Explorer to register them as content folders
• Create Content - Create new markdown files with front matter
• View Configuration - Manage your content folder settings

❌ Limited/Unavailable Features

The following features from the full extension are not available in the lite version due to virtual workspace limitations:

• Dashboard - Full dashboard UI (basic version available)
• Media Management - File upload and media library
• Local Server Preview - Starting/stopping local dev servers
• Git Integration - Advanced git operations
• Custom Scripts - Running custom Node.js scripts
• File System Watch - Automatic content refresh
• Complex Build Tools - Framework-specific integrations

Installation

1. Open a virtual workspace (github.dev or vscode.dev)
2. Install the "Front Matter CMS (Lite)" extension from the Extensions marketplace
3. Start managing your content!

Usage

Edit Front Matter Metadata

1. Open a markdown file in the editor
2. The Metadata panel in the Front Matter Lite sidebar shows all front matter fields
3. Edit fields directly in the panel:
   • Title - Edit the page title
   • Description - Edit the description (multiline)
   • Date - Use the date picker to set publish date
   • Tags/Categories - Add or remove tags by typing and pressing Enter
   • Other fields - Edit any custom front matter fields
4. Changes are saved automatically to the file

Register a Content Folder

1. In the Explorer, right-click on any folder
2. Select Front Matter Lite > Register Content Folder (Lite)
3. Enter a title for the folder
4. The folder is now registered and can be used for content creation

Create New Content

1. Open the Command Palette (F1 or Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run Front Matter Lite: Create Content (Lite)
3. Select a content folder
4. Enter a file name
5. Your new content file is created with basic front matter

Configuration

The lite version uses the same configuration as the full extension. You can configure your content folders and content types in VS Code settings:

{
  "frontMatter.content.pageFolders": [
    {
      "title": "Blog Posts",
      "path": "content/blog"
    }
  ]
}

Limitations

This lite version is designed to work within the constraints of virtual workspaces:

• Uses only the VS Code FileSystem API
• No Node.js file system operations
• No external process execution
• Limited to browser-compatible APIs

Need More Features?

For the full Front Matter CMS experience with all features, install the regular extension in VS Code Desktop:

• Front Matter CMS on the VS Code Marketplace
• Documentation

Contributing

This is part of the Front Matter CMS project. Visit our GitHub repository to contribute or report issues.

License

MIT