Docker Extension

Provides real-time syntax highlighting and context-aware code completion for Dockerfile instructions by parsing Dockerfile grammar rules and maintaining a registry of valid Docker commands, build arguments, and base image references. The extension integrates with VS Code's language server protocol to deliver hover documentation, parameter hints, and diagnostic warnings for invalid syntax without requiring external API calls.

Enables editing of docker-compose.yml and docker-compose.yaml files with YAML syntax validation, schema-aware completion for Compose service definitions, and real-time error detection for invalid service configurations. The extension validates against the Docker Compose specification schema, providing completions for service properties like 'image', 'ports', 'volumes', 'environment', and 'networks' with context-aware suggestions.

Provides a visual explorer in the VS Code sidebar displaying all local Docker containers with their current state (running, stopped, paused), allowing developers to start, stop, restart, pause, and remove containers directly from the UI without opening a terminal. The extension communicates with the local Docker daemon via the Docker socket (Unix: /var/run/docker.sock, Windows: named pipe) to query container state and execute lifecycle commands.

Enables building Docker images directly from VS Code by selecting a Dockerfile and specifying build context, tags, and build arguments. The extension executes 'docker build' with the selected context directory, streams build output to an integrated terminal, and displays real-time progress including layer caching status, build step execution time, and final image size. Build arguments and tags are configurable via UI dialogs or command palette.

Manages Docker registry credentials (Docker Hub, Azure Container Registry, private registries) and enables pushing built images to registries or pulling images from registries directly from VS Code. The extension stores credentials securely using VS Code's credential storage API, authenticates with registries using standard Docker authentication protocols, and streams push/pull progress to the integrated terminal with layer transfer status.

Displays container logs in VS Code's integrated terminal with real-time streaming, allowing developers to view stdout/stderr output from running containers without opening separate terminal windows. The extension supports log filtering by container, timestamp-based log retrieval, and automatic log tail updates as new output is generated. Logs are fetched via the Docker daemon's logs API with configurable tail length and follow mode.

Enables opening an interactive shell (bash, sh, or cmd) inside a running container directly from VS Code, allowing developers to execute commands and debug containerized applications without opening separate terminal windows. The extension uses 'docker exec' to spawn a shell session, attaches it to VS Code's integrated terminal with full TTY support, and maintains the session until explicitly closed.

Displays detailed metadata for Docker images including layers, environment variables, exposed ports, volumes, entry points, and build history. The extension queries image metadata via the Docker daemon's inspect API and presents it in a structured format within VS Code, allowing developers to understand image composition without running containers or using docker inspect commands.

Provides UI-driven management of Docker networks and volumes, allowing developers to create, inspect, and remove networks and volumes directly from VS Code. The extension displays all networks and volumes in the sidebar explorer, shows which containers are connected to each network, and enables volume mounting configuration through UI dialogs without requiring docker network/volume CLI commands.

Provides scaffolding and template generation for Dockerfiles and docker-compose.yml files based on project type and technology stack. The extension analyzes the current workspace to detect project type (Node.js, Python, Java, .NET, etc.) and generates starter Dockerfile and Compose templates with best practices including multi-stage builds, appropriate base images, and optimized layer caching. Templates are customizable and can be inserted into the workspace with a single command.