PLECS Diff Viewer

Visual diff viewer for PLECS circuit files (.plecs) across Git commits inside VS Code.

Features

• Compare a PLECS file between two commits, or between a commit and your working copy.
• Open from status bar command (PLECS Diff) or from file context menu.
• View circuit-level changes and navigate subsystem differences in the panel.

Visual Indicators

The extension uses colors and line styles to indicate different types of changes:

• 🟢 Green Solid: Newly added component.
• 🔴 Red Solid: Removed component.
• 🟡 Yellow/Khaki Solid: Parameter changed inside a component (e.g., resistance, voltage) without component addition/removal.
• 🟣 Purple Dashed: Component position changed.
  • Ghost Component (Faded dashed): Represents the previous location of the moved component.
  • Position Change Line (Dashed): Shows the path between the old and new positions.
• 🔘 Highlight Ring (Large yellow dashed circle): Focuses on the currently selected change from the left diff list.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.85.0 or newer
• A Git repository containing .plecs files
• PLECS files committed in Git history for commit-to-commit comparisons

Install (Offline VSIX)

Use this method when internet access is restricted or Marketplace install is unavailable. Pre-compiled binary can be downloaded in the release tab.

1. Install in VS Code UI using a pre-compiled bianary:

1. Open Extensions view.
2. Select the ... menu.
3. Choose Install from VSIX....
4. Select the VSIX file from build_extension/.

You can see the detailed step in this link: https://developer.analog.com/docs/codefusion-studio/1.1.0/user-guide/installation/install-extensions/

2. Install in VS Code using command line and a pre-compiled bianary:

code --install-extension build_extension/<generated-file>.vsix

Example:

code --install-extension build_extension/plecs-diff-viewer-0.2.0.vsix

3. Build the VSIX package:

./build.sh

Optional: set a temporary package version for that build only:

./build.sh --version 0.2.0

How To Use

Option A: Open from Status Bar

1. Open a workspace that contains .plecs files in a Git repository.
2. Click PLECS Diff in the VS Code status bar.
3. Select the target .plecs file (if prompted).
4. In the panel, choose the OLD and NEW commits (or Working Copy).
5. Click compare to view the visual diff.

Option B: Open from File Context

1. In Explorer, right-click a .plecs file.
2. Select PLECS Diff: Compare File Between Commits.
3. Select OLD and NEW versions in the panel.

Build And Package

./build.sh

Build output:

• VSIX file is generated under build_extension/.
• The package includes this README.md file and uses it as the extension readme.

Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

Tip: To test the extension directly in VS Code, simply press F5. This automatically runs the npm: build task and launches a new Extension Development Host window.

Build extension bundle (manual):

npm run build

Watch mode:

npm run watch

Troubleshooting

• Failed to get git log: make sure the workspace root is a Git repository and the file is tracked.
• Error loading diff: verify the selected file exists in the selected commit and is a valid PLECS file.
• No .plecs files found: open the correct workspace folder and check file extension.