VS Code extension

From a text tree to a real one

Scaffolder turns a column-aligned text layout (an ASCII directory tree from a README, a specification, or an AI answer) into real folders and files in your workspace.

It strips inline comments, reads box-drawing characters, spaces and tabs alike, and skips any file that already exists. It works in VS Code and Google Antigravity.

Source code

What it does

Zero dependencies

Built only on VS Code's own APIs: no npm packages, no supply-chain risk.

Any workspace

Writes through vscode.workspace.fs, so it works on local drives, SSH remotes, Dev Containers, WSL and cloud workspaces.

Column-aligned parsing

Measures each line's column offset, treating ├──, └──, │, spaces and tabs (as four columns) the same way.

The trailing-slash rule

A name ending in / is a folder; anything else is a file, so Dockerfile and Makefile stay files.

Never overwrites

Checks each path first and skips files that already exist.

Comments stripped

Drops # and // explanations after a name.

Two ways to run it

  1. From a file: open a text file with a tree, select the block (or nothing, for the whole file), and run Scaffolder: Generate from Current Selection/File.
  2. From a prompt: run Scaffolder: Paste and Generate Tree Layout, paste the tree, and press Enter.
app/
├── src/
│   └── main.js      # entry point
├── Dockerfile
└── README.md

Build it

Node and pnpm come from mise. Install the .vsix by dragging it into the Extensions view, or with Install from VSIX.

mise install
pnpm install
pnpm compile
pnpm dlx @vscode/vsce package

Privacy

The extension runs entirely inside VS Code. It creates the folders and files your tree describes, in your workspace, and skips any that already exist. It has no dependencies, makes no network requests, and keeps no telemetry or settings of its own.

This page stores only your light or dark choice, whether you hid the intro, and your answer to the notice, all on this device.