🚀 Quick Start Guide¶

Get up and running with LookAtni File Markers in minutes!

Your First Markers¶

Step 1: Try the Quick Demo¶

Experience LookAtni in action:

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Type: LookAtni: Quick Demo
3. Press Enter and watch the magic happen!

This creates a sample HTML project and demonstrates the complete workflow.

Step 2: Generate Markers from Your Project¶

Transform your existing project into portable markers:

1. Open your project in VS Code
2. Command Palette → LookAtni: Generate Markers
3. Select source folder (your project root)
4. Choose output file (e.g., my-project-markers.txt)
5. Configure options (file filters, size limits)
6. Generate! ✨

Step 3: Extract Markers Anywhere¶

Restore your project from markers:

1. Get your markers file (.txt file from Step 2)
2. Command Palette → LookAtni: Extract Files
3. Select markers file
4. Choose destination folder
5. Extract! Your project is restored perfectly

Real-World Example¶

Let's create a React project marker:

Create Sample React Project¶

# Create a simple React component
mkdir my-react-app
cd my-react-app

# Create package.json
echo '{
  "name": "my-react-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": {
    "react": "^18.0.0"
  }
}' > package.json

# Create a component
mkdir src
echo 'import React from "react";

export function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello LookAtni!</h1>
      <p>This project was packaged with LookAtni File Markers</p>
    </div>
  );
}' > src/App.jsx

Generate Markers¶

1. Open my-react-app in VS Code
2. Command Palette → LookAtni: Generate Markers
3. Source: ./ (current folder)
4. Output: react-app-markers.txt
5. Exclude: node_modules (default)
6. Generate!

Share and Extract¶

Your react-app-markers.txt file contains everything:

//␜/ package.json /␜//
{
  "name": "my-react-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": {
    "react": "^18.0.0"
  }
}

//␜/ src/App.jsx /␜//
import React from "react";

export function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello LookAtni!</h1>
      <p>This project was packaged with LookAtni File Markers</p>
    </div>
  );
}

Anyone can now extract this into a working React project!

Essential Commands¶

Primary Commands¶

Quick Actions¶

Common Workflows¶

Code Review Workflow¶

1. Generate markers for the feature branch
2. Share markers file with reviewer
3. Reviewer extracts and tests locally
4. Provide feedback on the extracted code

Educational Workflow¶

1. Create lesson project with examples
2. Generate markers for distribution
3. Students extract and follow along
4. Include in course materials

Backup Workflow¶

1. Generate markers for important projects
2. Store markers files in cloud storage
3. Extract when needed for recovery
4. Version control your markers

Tips for Success¶

File Organization¶

• Use descriptive names for markers files
• Include version numbers (e.g., project-v1.2-markers.txt)
• Add date stamps for time-based tracking
• Organize by project type or purpose

Best Practices¶

• Exclude large files (videos, binaries, dependencies)
• Use size limits to keep markers manageable
• Validate regularly to catch issues early
• Document your markers with comments

Performance Tips¶

• Generate incrementally for large projects
• Use file filters to focus on relevant code
• Split large projects into logical markers
• Monitor file sizes and optimize as needed

What's Next?¶

Now that you've mastered the basics:

1. Explore Features - Dive deeper into capabilities
2. Read Best Practices - Optimize your workflow
3. Try Examples - Real-world use cases
4. Check CLI Tools - Advanced automation