User Guide¶

Overview¶

This guide covers all the features and functionality of the ACME Portal VS Code extension.

Interface Components¶

The main interface is accessed through the ACME Portal icon in the VS Code Activity Bar. It contains:

ACME Resources View: Lists all flows and environments in your project
Toolbar Buttons: Quick access to common actions like refresh and settings

Flow Tree Structure¶

Flows are organized hierarchically:

📁 Flow Name
├── 🌍 Environment 1
├── 🌍 Environment 2
└── 🌍 Environment 3

Core Features¶

Flow Management¶

Viewing Flows¶

All flows in your configured flows directory are automatically detected
Flows are displayed with their current environments and status
Use the refresh button (🔄) to reload the flow list

Opening Flow Files¶

Click the file icon (📄) next to any flow to open its main file
This opens the Python file associated with the flow in the editor

Deployment Operations¶

Deploying Flows¶

Click the deploy button (☁️) next to deployable flows
Only flows that meet deployment criteria will show this option
Monitor deployment progress in the Output panel

Environment Promotion¶

Click the promote button (🚀) next to flows or environments
This moves a flow from one environment to the next in the promotion chain
Useful for moving flows from dev → staging → production

Version Comparison¶

Click the diff button (🔄) next to environments
Opens a comparison view showing differences between flow versions
Helps review changes before promotion or deployment

Configuration¶

Extension Settings¶

Access through the gear icon (⚙️) in the ACME Portal toolbar
Or go to VS Code Settings and search for "acme portal"
Configure the flows path relative to your workspace root

Flow Path Configuration¶

The most important setting is the flows path: - Default: flows - Description: Directory containing your Python flow files - Examples: - src/flows - flows in a src subdirectory - my-flows - custom flows directory name - ./flows - explicit relative path

Commands¶

All ACME Portal commands are available through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Command	Description
`ACME: Open Settings`	Open extension settings
`ACME: Refresh Flows`	Reload the flow list
`ACME: Deploy Flow`	Deploy the selected flow
`ACME: Promote Flow`	Promote flow to next environment
`ACME: Compare Flow Versions`	Show differences between versions

Context Menus¶

Right-click on flows and environments for additional options: - Flows: Open file, deploy, promote - Environments: Promote, compare versions, open external URLs

Workflow Examples¶

Typical Development Workflow¶

Create/Modify Flow: Edit Python files using VS Code
Refresh Views: Click refresh to see changes
Deploy to Dev: Use deploy button for development testing
Promote to Staging: Once tested, promote to staging environment
Compare Versions: Review changes before production
Promote to Production: Final promotion after approval

Multi-Environment Management¶

View All Environments: Expand flows to see all environments
Check Status: Monitor deployment status across environments
Selective Promotion: Promote specific flows as needed
Version Control: Use comparison tools to track changes

Tips and Best Practices¶

Organization¶

Keep flows in a dedicated directory
Use descriptive flow names
Maintain consistent directory structure

Development¶

Test flows in development environment before promoting
Use version comparison before production deployments
Keep flow files organized and well-documented

Troubleshooting¶

Check the Output panel for detailed logs
Verify Python interpreter selection
Ensure acme-portal-sdk is properly configured
Use refresh if flows don't appear immediately

Integration with VS Code¶

File Operations¶

Opening flow files integrates with VS Code's editor
Use VS Code's built-in Git integration for version control
Leverage VS Code's Python debugging for flow development

Extensions Compatibility¶

Works alongside Python extension
Compatible with Git extensions
Supports VS Code's integrated terminal for manual operations

Advanced Usage¶

Custom Flow Structures¶

Configure non-standard flow directory layouts
Work with multiple flow directories (requires separate workspaces)
Integration with monorepo structures

Automation¶

Use VS Code tasks to automate common workflows
Integrate with VS Code's launch configurations
Set up keyboard shortcuts for frequent operations

For technical details about the underlying SDK, see the API Reference.