Quick Start

Once installed, follow these steps to start using Workspace Tasks:

1. Open a Workspace

Open a folder or workspace in Visual Studio Code that contains supported task files such as package.json, Makefile, build.gradle, or any other supported task type.

2. Open the Workspace Tasks View

You can view your tasks in two places:

Sidebar (Activity Bar): Click the Workspace Tasks icon in the Activity Bar on the left
Explorer Panel: Find “Workspace Tasks” in the Explorer panel; you can drag it to your preferred location

Workspace-Tasks Sidebar

3. Browse and Run Tasks

Tasks are organized hierarchically:

Workspace Folder
└── Task Type (e.g., npm, Makefile, Docker)
    └── Task File (e.g., package.json)
        └── Individual Tasks

To run a task:

Double-click the task to run it immediately
Click the play icon (▶️) in the task action bar
Right-click for additional options

4. Add to Favorites

Click the star icon (☆) next to any task to add it to your Favorites. Favorites appear at the top of the task tree for quick access.

5. Create a Compound Task (Queue)

Click the compound task icon next to any task to add it to a compound task. Compound tasks (queues) let you run multiple tasks in sequence—perfect for build, test, and deploy pipelines.