TabNote: A Game-Changing Note-taking VS Code Extension
Tags: vscode, productivity, opensource, webdev
Published: 2023-01-17 20:53:33

We've all been there: juggling multiple tabs and files, trying to remember why we opened a certain file or where we left off in a specific tab. It can be a real pain to keep track of our work, but not anymore. Introducing **_TabNote_**, the ultimate way to leave notes on individual tabs and files.

**TabNote** is a new VS Code extension that allows you to quickly and easily leave notes on any tab or file, helping you keep track of your work and be more organized. The main motivation behind this extension is to solve the too many tabs open syndrome and make code navigation a less confusing experience.

With **TabNote**, you can add notes to any tab or file fairly simply and the notes you add are easily accessible. For starters, you can view a preview of the note for the current tab in the status bar at the bottom of the window, and view/edit it by clicking on the status bar, you can also manage all your notes, and search through them through the sidebar view (activity bar) or through a quick pick menu. And the best part? Your notes persist across sessions, so you can pick up right where you left off.

In summary, here are some of the key features of TabNote:
* Quickly add notes to any tab or file right from the status bar
* Preview and manage notes for the current tab from the status bar
![Using Status Bar](https://github.com/alganzory/tabnote/blob/main/media/gifs/statusBar.gif?raw=true)
* View and manage all notes through the sidebar (activity bar)
* Search for specific notes through the sidebar
![Using Activity Bar] (https://github.com/alganzory/tabnote/blob/main/media/gifs/activityBar.gif?raw=true)
* View, manage, and search notes using commands in the Command Palette
![Using Command Palette](https://github.com/alganzory/tabnote/blob/main/media/gifs/commandPalette.gif?raw=true)
* Notes persist across sessions so you can use them for todos, tracking issues, etc.

Here are some ways you can use this extension:
* To _add a note_ for the current tab, use the command `TabNote: Add Note` or click the `Add Note` button in the status bar
* To _view and manage existing notes_, use the command `TabNote: View/Edit Note` or click the status bar button
* To delete a note for the current tab, use the command `TabNote: Delete Note`
* You can _search for a note_ through the command `TabNote: Search Notes` or by clicking the search button in the side bar
* You can _view and manage all notes_ by clicking the extension icon in the sidebar (activity bar)
 

I built **TabNote** because I was constantly struggling with too many open tabs and files, and I couldn't find a VS code extension that solved this problem. So, I took it upon myself to create one from scratch. I used Javascript initially but then migrated to code to TypeScript and the guide of [VS Code API documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/api) to make it happen.

Developing **TabNote** has been a great learning experience and that's why I made it into an open-source project, so I can give back to the community and continue learning and improving from your feedback, suggestions, and/or contributions! 

This is my first post on Dev.to and to any developer community really so I look forward to all contributions from bug reports to feature contributions or even general advice, and I'm excited for it all!.

You can [Download TabNote from the VS Code Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=alganzory.tabnote) or [Check out TabNote on GitHub](https://github.com/alganzory/tabnote)