Makerchip Extension

VS Code extension for Makerchip IDE integration, providing TL-Verilog development and compilation support with GitHub Copilot integration.

Features

• Compile/Simulate TL-Verilog: Compile and visualize circuits directly in VS Code
• Multiple Panels: Work with different circuits simultaneously in named panels
• GitHub Copilot Integration: Language Model tools allow Copilot to launch Makerchip and demonstrate examples
• Reference Data Management: Automatic setup of documentation and examples
• Keyboard Shortcut: Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to compile current file
• Chat Participant: Use @makerchip for direct interaction

Usage

Manual Usage

1. Open a .tlv file
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter or run "Makerchip: Compile/Simulate" from the command palette
3. View compilation results, circuit diagrams, and waveforms in the webview panel

Working with Multiple Panels:

• Use "Makerchip: Compile/Simulate in Panel..." to select or create named panels
• Compare different designs side-by-side
• Quick panel selection from existing panels or create new ones

With GitHub Copilot

Copilot can automatically:

• Compile and visualize TL-Verilog files directly in Makerchip
• Show examples directly in the Makerchip IDE (not just in chat)
• Switch between different IDE panes (Diagram, Waveform, Nav-TLV, etc.)
• Load code from files or URLs

Example prompts:

• "Show me a simple counter in Makerchip"
• "Open this in Makerchip and show the waveform"
• "Demonstrate a pipeline design in TL-Verilog"

Development

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies: npm install
2. Load repo into VS Code workspace. Extension and webview change auto-compile when changed (npm run watch).
3. Press F5 to launch extension in debug mode

Testing with Local Makerchip Server

To test extension changes with a local mono_vscode (SandHost) server:

1. Start local server with tunnel in mono_vscode repo:

   <mono>/bin/start_cloudflared 8800 <makerchip-vscode-extension>

   This creates a public tunnel and writes the URL to <makerchip-vscode-extension>/.makerchip-server-url and launches SandHost to use that basePath URL.

2. Extension reads .makerchip-server-url and connects to your local server

3. Make changes, press F5 to reload extension or Ctrl+R to refresh webview, test your changes

4. Check logs:

   • Makerchip Tools output panel (opens automatically)
   • Developer Console (Ctrl+Shift+I) for extension host logs
   • Webview DevTools (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Makerchip: Open Webview Developer Tools")

Server URL priority: .makerchip-server-url file → VS Code setting → beta.makerchip.com

See also: mono_vscode README for server-side debugging.

Copilot Enablement Architecture

This extension provides two Language Model tools that make Makerchip features accessible to Copilot:

1. makerchip_compile Tool

High-level tool for compiling/simulating files or code in Makerchip.

Parameters:

• filePath (optional): Path to a .tlv file to compile
• code (optional): TL-Verilog code to compile directly

When invoked:

1. Opens the specified file or creates a new document with the provided code
2. Launches the Makerchip IDE webview
3. Compiles the code and displays results

2. makerchip_ide_call Tool

Generic tool for calling any IDE method directly.

Parameters:

• method (required): IDE method name (e.g., activatePane, setCode, getCode)
• args (optional): Array of arguments to pass to the method

Available Methods:

• compile(code) - Compile TL-Verilog code
• setCode(code, readOnly) - Set editor code
• getCode(lastChangeGeneration) - Get current code
• setCodeFromURL(url, readOnly) - Load code from URL
• activatePane(name) - Switch to a specific pane ("Diagram", "Waveform", "Nav-TLV", etc.)
• openStaticPane(name, background) - Open a static pane

For complete IDE Plugin API documentation, see:

• Local: ~/.vscode-makerchip/resources/Makerchip-public/docs/plugin_api/index.html
• Online: IdePlugin API Documentation

Generic Message Protocol

All IDE interactions use a unified message format:

// Extension → Webview
{
  type: 'ide',
  method: 'methodName',
  args: [...]
}

// Webview → Extension (results)
{
  type: 'ideResult',
  method: 'methodName',
  result: any
}

// Webview → Extension (errors)
{
  type: 'ideError',
  method: 'methodName',
  error: string
}

This generic approach means:

• No code changes needed to expose new IDE methods to Copilot
• Future-proof: New IDE features automatically become available
• Consistent API: Single mechanism for all IDE operations

Helper Function

The extension exports callIDE() for convenient method invocation:

import { callIDE } from './extension';

// Compile code
await callIDE('compile', code);

// Switch panes
await callIDE('activatePane', 'Waveform');

// Set code without compiling
await callIDE('setCode', code, false);

Development

Project Structure

src/
  extension.ts        - Main extension activation and commands
  makerchipTool.ts    - Language Model tool implementations
  makerchipParticipant.ts - Chat participant for @makerchip
  resourceManager.ts  - Manages documentation/example repositories
  webview.ts         - Client-side IDE integration (runs in webview)
  webview.html       - Webview HTML template
resources/           - Cloned TL-Verilog documentation and examples

Building

npm install
npm run compile

Key Design Decisions

1. TypeScript throughout: Both extension and webview code use TypeScript for consistency and type safety
2. Separated webview: HTML and TS are in separate files (not inline strings)
3. Global context: Extension context stored globally for cleaner API
4. Flattened arguments: callIDE() uses rest parameters for natural usage
5. Generic protocol: Single message type handles all IDE method calls

Requirements

• VS Code 1.110.0 or higher
• GitHub Copilot (for AI features)

Resources

The extension manages a directory ~/.vscode-makerchip/, which it adds to your workspace. It contains:

• reference/: Quick access to reference data, especially for use by LLM agents (e.g., Copilot), including specifications, examples, the IDE API (exposed to this extension as callIDE(...)), etc.
• compile-cache/: A file cache of compilation results for debugging, analysis, and reloading without recompilation.
• .vscode/skills/tlv-ecosystem.md: A Copilot skill that references available reference resources and provides TL-Verilog ecosystem context.

License

See LICENSE file.