VS Code

Install from the Marketplace:

Or from the command line:

code --install-extension BenignX.vscode-cha

First launch

On activation the extension checks for a cha binary on PATH. If it isn't found, the extension downloads the matching release for your platform from github.com/W-Mai/Cha/releases and stores it under the extension's global storage directory. No manual install step is required.

The extension activates automatically when you open a file in any supported language: Rust, TypeScript / TSX, Python, Go, C, or C++.

Configuration

The extension reads a .cha.toml in your workspace root (see Configuration overview). No additional VS Code settings are needed for typical use.

Three settings exist if you need them:

Setting	Default	Purpose
`cha.path`	`"cha"`	Override the binary path. Set this to point at a development build or a non-`PATH` install.
`cha.lsp.enabled`	`true`	Disable the language client without uninstalling the extension.
`cha.disabledPlugins`	`["large_file"]`	Smell names the extension should suppress in-editor. `large_file` is off by default — when you're already inside a file, "this file is too long" is noise. Add `todo_comment`, `high_coupling`, etc. if you find them distracting at edit time; they still surface in `cha analyze` from the CLI.

Troubleshooting

No diagnostics appear. Open the Output panel and select Cha from the dropdown. Failed downloads, missing binary, and LSP startup errors are logged there.
cha upgraded but the extension still uses the old version. Reload the window (Developer: Reload Window from the command palette). The extension picks the binary path on activation.
Wrong binary picked up. Set cha.path to an absolute path; the explicit setting overrides the auto-downloaded copy.
Binary download fails behind a corporate proxy. Install cha manually (see Installation), make sure it's on PATH, and reload the window.

What you get

Every capability listed in the LSP overview. What that means in practice inside VS Code:

Capability	What it shows up as
Diagnostics	Wavy underlines + entries in the Problems panel. Severity follows the smell's severity (`Error` / `Warning` / `Information`).
Code actions	Lightbulb on the offending line; `Cmd+.` (or `Ctrl+.`) to apply. Includes Fowler-style refactorings the analyzer suggests, plus the built-in Extract Method for over-long functions.
Code lens	Inline overlays above functions / classes — complexity, line count, parameter count.
Inlay hints	Subtle gray annotations after function names: `cx:N cog:N NL` (cyclomatic / cognitive / nesting). Toggle via the Editor › Inlay Hints setting if they get noisy.
Hover	Hover any function or class to see a markdown "report card" — its metrics and which thresholds it crosses.
Document symbols	Outline view (`⌘⇧O`) with ⚠ markers on items that have findings.
Semantic tokens	Functions / classes with findings get a `warning` modifier — useful with themes that style it (e.g. yellow underline).
Workspace diagnostics	`cha analyze` against the whole project on extension activation, so the Problems panel populates without opening every file first. Progress shows in the status bar.

No extra configuration needed for any of the above.

Marketplace

Listing: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=BenignX.vscode-cha

Released alongside cha itself — install the latest extension and you get the latest analyzer.