add-setting

Development

Use when adding a new cmake.* configuration setting. Touches package.json (contributes.configuration), package.nls.json, src/config.ts (interface + getter), docs/cmake-settings.md, and CHANGELOG.md. Triggers: "add setting", "new setting", "add configuration".

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Adding a New Configuration Setting

Recipe for adding a new cmake.* setting to CMake Tools.

Files you must touch

File	What to add
`package.json`	Setting declaration in `contributes.configuration.properties`
`package.nls.json`	English description string
`src/config.ts`	Interface property + EventEmitter + getter
`docs/cmake-settings.md`	Row in the settings table
`CHANGELOG.md`	Entry under the current version

Step 1 — Declare the setting in `package.json`

Add an entry inside contributes.configuration.properties. Key format is cmake.<settingName>.

// package.json  →  contributes.configuration.properties
"cmake.myNewSetting": {
  "type": "boolean",
  "default": false,
  "description": "%cmake-tools.configuration.cmake.myNewSetting.description%",
  "scope": "resource"
}

Rules

type — "boolean", "string", "number", "array", "object", or use "oneOf" for union types.
default — always required.
scope — use "resource" for project-specific settings (most common), "window" for global UI settings, "machine-overridable" for tool paths.
description or markdownDescription — must use an NLS key, never a bare string.
NLS key format: %cmake-tools.configuration.cmake.<settingName>.description% (wrapped in %).

Real example — `cmake.saveBeforeBuild`

"cmake.saveBeforeBuild": {
  "type": "boolean",
  "default": true,
  "description": "%cmake-tools.configuration.cmake.saveBeforeBuild.description%",
  "scope": "resource"
}

Step 2 — Add the English string to `package.nls.json`

Add the NLS key (without the % wrappers) and its English text:

"cmake-tools.configuration.cmake.myNewSetting.description": "Description of what this setting does."

Do not modify any file under i18n/. Translations are handled separately.

Step 3 — Wire up `src/config.ts` (three changes)

3a — Add property to `ExtensionConfigurationSettings`

// src/config.ts  →  ExtensionConfigurationSettings interface
export interface ExtensionConfigurationSettings {
    // ... existing properties ...
    myNewSetting: boolean;
}

The type must match what you declared in package.json.

3b — Add EventEmitter to the `emitters` map

// src/config.ts  →  ConfigurationReader.emitters
private readonly emitters: EmittersOf<ExtensionConfigurationSettings> = {
    // ... existing emitters ...
    myNewSetting: new vscode.EventEmitter<boolean>(),
};

The emitter type parameter must match the interface property type.

3c — Add a getter

Simple pass-through getter (most settings):

get myNewSetting(): boolean {
    return this.configData.myNewSetting;
}

Getter with transformation logic (e.g., sourceDirectory normalizes to array):

get sourceDirectory(): string[] {
    if (!Array.isArray(this.configData.sourceDirectory)) {
        return [this.configData.sourceDirectory];
    }
    return this.configData.sourceDirectory;
}

Step 4 — Document in `docs/cmake-settings.md`

Add a row to the settings table. Keep alphabetical order.

| `cmake.myNewSetting` | Description of what this setting does. | `false` | no |

Table columns:

Column	Content
Setting	Backtick-quoted `cmake.<name>`
Description	Plain-English description
Default value	Backtick-quoted default
Supports substitution	`yes` if `${variable}` expansion applies, otherwise `no`

Step 5 — Add a CHANGELOG entry

Add an entry under the current version in CHANGELOG.md, in the Features: or Improvements: section.

Verification checklist

package.json — setting declared with correct type, default, scope, and NLS key
package.nls.json — English string added
src/config.ts — interface property, emitter, and getter all added
docs/cmake-settings.md — table row added in alphabetical order
CHANGELOG.md — entry added
yarn compile succeeds (or npm run compile)
No files under i18n/ were modified

See also: .github/copilot-instructions.md for project-wide conventions.

How to use this skill

Adding a New Configuration Setting

Files you must touch

Step 1 — Declare the setting in package.json

Rules

Real example — cmake.saveBeforeBuild

Step 2 — Add the English string to package.nls.json

Step 3 — Wire up src/config.ts (three changes)

3a — Add property to ExtensionConfigurationSettings

3b — Add EventEmitter to the emitters map