VS Code Extension

Get real-time HIPAA compliance feedback as you write code with the vlayer VS Code extension.

Installation

From Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "vlayer"
4. Click Install

From Command Line

code --install-extension vlayer.vlayer-vscode

Features

Real-time Diagnostics

Issues appear as you type:

• Red squiggles - Critical/High severity
• Yellow squiggles - Medium severity
• Blue squiggles - Low severity (hints)

Problems Panel

View all findings in the Problems panel (Ctrl+Shift+M):

PROBLEMS
  src/api/patients.ts
    ⊗ [vlayer] Potential SSN pattern found (line 45)
    ⊗ [vlayer] MD5 hash algorithm detected (line 23)
  src/utils/validate.ts
    ⚠ [vlayer] Missing audit logging (line 12)

Hover Information

Hover over highlighted code to see:

• Issue description
• HIPAA reference
• Remediation guidance

Quick Fixes

Click the lightbulb or press Ctrl+. for quick fixes:

• Replace MD5 with SHA-256
• Add audit logging
• Move secrets to environment variables

Code Actions

Right-click for vlayer actions:

• Ignore this line
• Ignore this file
• View HIPAA reference

Configuration

Extension Settings

Open Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for "vlayer":

Setting	Default	Description
vlayer.enable	true	Enable/disable extension
vlayer.severity	low	Minimum severity to show
vlayer.runOnSave	true	Scan on file save
vlayer.runOnType	true	Scan as you type
vlayer.debounceMs	500	Delay before scanning

Settings JSON

{
  "vlayer.enable": true,
  "vlayer.severity": "medium",
  "vlayer.runOnSave": true,
  "vlayer.runOnType": true,
  "vlayer.debounceMs": 300,
  "vlayer.configPath": ".vlayerrc.json"
}

Workspace Settings

Configure per-project in .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "vlayer.enable": true,
  "vlayer.severity": "low",
  "vlayer.exclude": [
    "**/test/**"
  ]
}

Commands

Access via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Command	Description
vlayer: Scan Current File	Scan active file
vlayer: Scan Workspace	Scan entire workspace
vlayer: Show Output	View extension logs
vlayer: Clear Diagnostics	Clear all findings
vlayer: Toggle Enable	Enable/disable extension

Status Bar

The status bar shows scan status:

• ✓ vlayer - No issues found
• ⚠ vlayer (3) - 3 findings in current file
• ⊗ vlayer - Critical issues found
• ◷ vlayer - Scanning...

Click to view details.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+H	Scan current file
F8	Go to next problem
Shift+F8	Go to previous problem

Customize in Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S).

Integration with CLI

The extension uses the same configuration as the CLI:

// .vlayerrc.json - used by both
{
  "exclude": ["**/test/**"],
  "severity": "medium"
}

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Working

1. Check Output panel (View → Output → vlayer)
2. Verify vlayer is installed: npm list -g verification-layer
3. Check extension is enabled in Settings

Performance Issues

If scanning is slow:

1. Increase debounce time:

   { "vlayer.debounceMs": 1000 }

2. Disable scan-on-type:

   { "vlayer.runOnType": false }

3. Exclude large directories:

   { "vlayer.exclude": ["**/node_modules/**", "**/dist/**"] }

False Positives

Use inline ignores:

// vlayer-ignore-next-line
const testSSN = "123-45-6789";

Or configure file excludes in settings.

See Also

• Configuration - Full configuration options
• Ignore Patterns - Suppress findings