ACP VS Code Extension | ACP Protocol

Document Type: Reference + How-To
Status: OUTLINE — Content to be added
Last Updated: December 2025

Overview

The ACP VS Code extension provides IDE integration for the AI Context Protocol, including:

Real-time annotation highlighting
Constraint visualization
IntelliSense for ACP annotations
Cache status indicators
Quick fixes and code actions

Installation

TODO: Expand with screenshots and verification steps

From Marketplace

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "ACP Protocol"
Click Install

From VSIX

code --install-extension acp-vscode-0.1.0.vsix

From Source

git clone https://github.com/acp-protocol/acp-vscode
cd acp-vscode
npm install
npm run package
code --install-extension acp-vscode-*.vsix

Features

Annotation Highlighting

TODO: Add screenshots, configuration options

The extension highlights ACP annotations with distinct colors:

Annotation Type	Color	Example
`@acp:lock frozen`	🔴 Red	Critical code
`@acp:lock restricted`	🟡 Yellow	Approval needed
`@acp:domain`	🔵 Blue	Domain markers
`@acp:fn`, `@acp:class`	🟢 Green	Documentation

Constraint Gutter Icons

TODO: Add icon examples, click behaviors

Files with constraints show gutter icons:

🔒 Frozen files
⚠️ Restricted files
📋 Approval required

IntelliSense

TODO: Add GIF showing autocomplete

The extension provides autocomplete for:

Annotation types (@acp:)
Lock levels (frozen, restricted, etc.)
Domain names from cache
Symbol references

Code Actions

TODO: Document all code actions

Available quick fixes:

"Add missing @acp:fn annotation"
"Convert comment to ACP annotation"
"Generate domain from file path"

Status Bar

TODO: Add screenshot, click actions

The status bar shows:

Cache status (fresh/stale)
File constraint level
Quick actions menu

Configuration

Extension Settings

{
  "acp.enabled": true,
  "acp.autoIndex": true,
  "acp.highlightAnnotations": true,
  "acp.showGutterIcons": true,
  "acp.showStatusBar": true,
  "acp.cacheWatchMode": "auto"
}

Settings Reference

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`acp.enabled`	boolean	`true`	Enable extension
`acp.autoIndex`	boolean	`true`	Auto-reindex on save
`acp.highlightAnnotations`	boolean	`true`	Highlight annotations
`acp.showGutterIcons`	boolean	`true`	Show constraint icons
`acp.showStatusBar`	boolean	`true`	Show status bar item
`acp.cacheWatchMode`	string	`"auto"`	`"auto"`, `"manual"`, `"daemon"`

TODO: Add all settings with detailed descriptions

Commands

TODO: Document all commands with keybindings

Command	Keybinding	Description
`ACP: Index Project`	Ctrl+Shift+A I	Regenerate cache
`ACP: Show Constraints`	Ctrl+Shift+A C	Show file constraints
`ACP: Go to Domain`	Ctrl+Shift+A D	Jump to domain file
`ACP: Add Annotation`	Ctrl+Shift+A A	Insert annotation

LSP Integration

TODO: Document LSP features

The extension uses a Language Server Protocol (LSP) server for:

Diagnostics
Hover information
Go to definition (for variables)
Find references

LSP Configuration

{
  "acp.lsp.enabled": true,
  "acp.lsp.path": "acp-lsp",
  "acp.lsp.trace": "off"
}

Troubleshooting

TODO: Expand with common issues

Extension Not Activating

Check that .acp.config.json exists
Verify the extension is enabled
Check Output panel for errors

Highlighting Not Working

Verify language is supported
Check acp.highlightAnnotations setting
Restart VS Code

Cache Not Updating

Check acp.autoIndex setting
Run ACP: Index Project manually
Check for indexing errors in Output

Sections to Add

Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete keybinding reference
Themes: Customizing annotation colors
Multi-root Workspaces: Handling multiple projects
Remote Development: WSL, SSH, Containers
Performance: Large codebase optimization
Debugging: Enabling extension debug logging

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