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VS Code Extension

The psake VS Code extension integrates psake's build system directly into Visual Studio Code. It automatically discovers your tasks, provides a dedicated explorer panel, and lets you run builds without leaving the editor.

Prerequisites​

Installation​

Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace, or search for psake in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X).

The extension activates automatically when your workspace contains a psakefile.ps1, psake.ps1, or build.ps1.

Features​

Task Provider​

The extension scans your psakefile.ps1 and registers all tasks with VS Code's task system. Your default task is mapped to the Build group, so pressing Ctrl+Shift+B runs it immediately.

Tasks refresh automatically when you save your build file.

You can also reference psake tasks in .vscode/tasks.json:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "type": "psake",
      "task": "Build"
    }
  ]
}

psake Tasks Explorer​

A sidebar panel in the Explorer view lists all discovered tasks with their descriptions and dependencies. From here you can:

  • Run any task with a single click
  • Navigate to a task's definition in your build file
  • View task dependencies at a glance

CodeLens​

Each Task declaration in your build file displays a Run Task action inline. Click it to execute the task directly from the editor.

To disable CodeLens, set psake.codeLens.enabled to false.

Build Script Detection​

If your project includes a wrapper script such as build.ps1, the extension routes execution through it automatically. This ensures bootstrapping, dependency installation, and other setup steps run correctly.

Set psake.buildScript to "none" to disable wrapper detection and call Invoke-psake directly.

Task Sync & IntelliSense​

  • Sync command: Run psake: Sync Tasks to tasks.json to add all discovered tasks to your workspace configuration while preserving existing customizations.
  • IntelliSense: The "task" property in .vscode/tasks.json provides autocomplete for psake task names when using the psake type.

Snippets​

Nine built-in snippets help you scaffold build files quickly:

PrefixDescription
psakeTaskBasic task definition
psakeTaskFullTask with all options
psakeTaskDependsOnlyTask that only declares dependencies
psakePropertiesProperties block
psakeIncludeInclude statement
psakeFrameworkFramework block
psakeFormatTaskNameFormatTaskName block
psakeTaskSetupTaskSetup block
psakeTaskTearDownTaskTearDown block

Scaffold Command​

Run psake: Install sample build file to generate a starter psakefile.ps1 with example tasks in your workspace.

Configuration​

All settings are under the psake namespace and update dynamically without restarting VS Code.

SettingDefaultDescription
psake.buildFilepsakefile.ps1Default build file name
psake.taskProvider.enabledtrueEnable automatic task detection
psake.codeLens.enabledtrueShow Run Task CodeLens above task declarations
psake.buildScript"" (auto-detect)Path to wrapper build script, or "none" to disable
psake.buildScriptTaskParameterTaskParameter name the build script uses for task selection
psake.buildScriptParameters""Additional parameters passed to the build script
psake.invokeParameters""Additional parameters passed to Invoke-psake
psake.powershellExecutable"" (auto-detect)Path to PowerShell executable
psake.shellArgs["-NoProfile"]Arguments passed to the PowerShell executable

Troubleshooting​

Tasks not appearing?

  • Verify your build file is named psakefile.ps1 (or matches your psake.buildFile setting)
  • Check that psake.taskProvider.enabled is true
  • Run psake: Refresh Tasks from the Command Palette

Build script not detected?

  • The extension looks for build.ps1 in the workspace root by default
  • Set psake.buildScript explicitly if your wrapper has a different name or location

Using a non-standard PowerShell?

  • Set psake.powershellExecutable to the full path of your PowerShell binary

Further Reading​