Editor, LSP, and DAP

Glade includes a VS Code extension for local Apex work. It uses the same parser, semantic checks, VM, storage layer, test runner, LSP, and DAP features as the CLI.

VS Code Extension

Install the bundled extension from a Glade release:

glade editor doctor vscode
glade editor install vscode --force

The VSIX lives in the release archive at share/glade/editor/vscode-glade.vsix. For extension development, package from the source tree, then run the same install command from anywhere inside the checkout:

npm --prefix contrib/vscode-glade install
npm --prefix contrib/vscode-glade run package
glade editor install vscode --force

Open an SFDX project. The extension adds one Glade Activity Bar and a Glade: Open Home command. The sidebar includes Start Here, Local Runs, Data Environments, Local Org, Exec & SOQL, Debug, and Plugins views.

Glade keeps a separate local workflow with glade.* command ids, a Glade Apex Test Explorer controller, and CodeLens labels that include Local. It does not take over org-backed commands, scratch-org tests, CodeLens, replay debugging, or language-server ownership.

The Command Palette also includes Glade: Open TUI, Glade: Open Tests TUI, Glade: Open Data TUI, and Glade: Open Plugins TUI. Each command opens a terminal and runs glade tui for the current project. The data TUI uses the active local data environment. When Glade: Check Salesforce Org has found a ready target, the data TUI passes that target to the import-from-org action.

Daily Local Apex Loop

Open the Glade Activity Bar and start in Start Here. Use Glade: Open Home when you want the daily hub. The first tab groups run, data, debug, Salesforce, and ship actions. The state tab shows project root, active Glade org, active data environment, Salesforce target, tests, watch state, and plugin findings.

1. Confirm the SFDX root and active local data environment.
2. Click Run local proof before pushing work to a scratch org.
3. Use Data Environments to clone, seed, reset, inspect, and export local state.
4. Use org-backed tools for deploy, retrieve, org tests, SOQL Builder, and Code Analyzer.

Glade actions are local. Salesforce actions stay org-backed.

Native VS Code Features

Glade uses one Activity Bar item and one Status Bar item. The sidebar shows Start Here, Local Runs, Data Environments, Local Org, Exec & SOQL, Debug, and Plugins.

Local Apex tests appear in the native VS Code Testing view under Glade Apex. Glade does not add a second Apex Tests sidebar tree. Breakpoints stay in the normal editor gutter and debug state stays in VS Code Run and Debug.

The Status Bar shows short local state, such as Glade: dev, Glade: dev 18ms, Glade: dev no DB, or Glade: plugin 2 findings. Details stay in the tooltip: project root, active DB, plugin finding counts, and last command. Click it to switch data, inspect local data, run local proof, manage plugins, or open output.

LWC and Visualforce preview

LWC and Visualforce preview are CLI preview features. They remain available through glade dev, but the VS Code extension does not start, stop, list, or monitor those servers until the preview workflow is steadier.

Use Preview LWC locally and Preview Visualforce locally for task steps. Use LWC preview and Visualforce preview for subsystem boundaries.

glade toolchain install
glade dev lwc --project . --open
glade dev vf --project . --port 8080

LWC routes use /lwc/preview/.... Visualforce routes use /apex/<Page>. Visualforce-backed LWC tab routes resolve through the LWC shell and then open the Visualforce page.

Plugin actions and findings

The extension reads installed and linked plugins through:

glade plugins list --json

Installed plugins may declare editor actions for Start Here, Local Runs, Local Org, Debug, or Plugins views. Linked local plugins work the same way after glade plugins link --exec <plugin-executable>.

When a plugin action declares output: "glade.findings.v1", the extension can parse stdout and publish findings into VS Code Problems. Findings carry severity, message, optional file, line, column, rule id, and source.

Local Tests

Run local tests from the Glade Activity Bar, the native VS Code Test Explorer, or CodeLens. Focused runs call:

glade test --project PROJECT_ROOT --json --class CLASS_NAME --method METHOD_NAME

Changed-test runs use:

glade test changed --project PROJECT_ROOT --since origin/main --json

Change the default ref with glade.changedSince.

The warm watch buttons run:

glade test --project PROJECT_ROOT --daemon --watch

Local Data Environments

The default environment is dev at .glade/envs/dev.sqlite. Add more named environments in workspace settings:

{
  "glade.environments": [
    { "name": "dev", "dbPath": ".glade/envs/dev.sqlite" },
    { "name": "feature", "dbPath": ".glade/envs/feature.sqlite" }
  ],
  "glade.activeEnvironment": "feature"
}

Execute anonymous Apex persists successful DML to the active environment:

glade exec --project PROJECT_ROOT --db ACTIVE_DB --log-out reports/exec.log "insert new Account(Name='local');"

The Local Org view can inspect, seed, reset, and export the active DB.

Debug

Glade debug sessions use Debug Adapter Protocol over stdio:

Use Debug Apex for the task path and Debug and profile for the subsystem boundary.

glade dap --project PROJECT_ROOT --db ACTIVE_DB

Anonymous debug, CodeLens debug, and Test Explorer debug all use the active local data environment. Breakpoints come from the normal VS Code Apex gutter. Glade does not draw a second breakpoint UI.

Language Server

Start the LSP server over stdio:

glade lsp --project .

Run one diagnostics pass without starting a long-lived server:

glade lsp --project . --diagnostics-once

The VS Code extension keeps the Glade LSP off by default. Set glade.enableLsp=true when you want local Glade diagnostics in VS Code.

CLI code intelligence

Use the same project graph from terminal tasks when you need definition, reference, or rename checks outside an editor:

glade inspect definition --project . --symbol RefinementService
glade inspect definition --project . --file force-app/main/default/classes/RefinementService.cls --line 6 --column 13
glade inspect references --project . --symbol RefinementService.total --json
glade inspect references --project . --symbol Account.Name --include-declaration
glade refactor rename --project . --symbol RefinementService --to FileRefinementService --dry-run
glade schema import describe --input reports/org-describe.json --project-cache .

glade refactor rename defaults to a dry-run plan. schema import describe --project-cache writes captured schema symbols under .glade/symbols for offline definition, reference, and rename queries.

VS Code Task Example

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "glade: check",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "glade check --project . --json",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "glade: watch local tests",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "glade test --project . --daemon --watch",
      "isBackground": true,
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "glade: lsp diagnostics",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "glade lsp --project . --diagnostics-once",
      "problemMatcher": []
    }
  ]
}