Near Studio - VS Code Extension

The ultimate VS Code extension for NEAR Protocol Rust smart contract development - streamline your workflow with powerful tools for creating, building, testing, and deploying NEAR smart contracts.

Features

🚀 Core Capabilities

Rust-First Development: Optimized for Rust smart contracts using cargo-near and modern NEAR tooling
Instant Contract Creation: Create new contracts with automatic workspace and terminal switching
One-Click Build & Deploy: Build and deploy contracts to testnet/mainnet with dropdown options
Contract Testing: Run tests directly from the sidebar with integrated terminal support
ABI Parsing & Contract Interface: Automatically parse deployed contract ABIs and interact with methods via UI
Rich Code Snippets: Extensive Rust snippet library for common NEAR patterns (view/call methods, storage, cross-contract calls, testing)

🎛️ Integrated Sidebar Panels

Project Explorer

Create New Contract: One-click Rust contract creation with automatic directory selection
Build & Deploy Dropdown:
- Random Account: Automatically create and deploy to a new random testnet account
- Select Account: Choose from your saved accounts for deployment
Run Tests: Execute cargo test with a single click
Contract Interface: After deployment, view and call contract methods through an interactive UI

Contract Manager

Automatic detection of all NEAR contracts in your workspace
Real-time build status tracking (✅ Built / ⚠️ Not Built)
Contract type identification (🦀 Rust / 📜 JavaScript/TypeScript)
Click any contract to instantly switch to its directory
File system watchers for auto-refresh on changes

Account Manager

Create new NEAR accounts (mainnet/testnet)
Quick testnet account creation with automatic faucet funding
Import existing accounts with private keys or seed phrases
Switch between multiple configured accounts
View account balances
Open accounts in NEAR Explorer
Network selection (testnet/mainnet)

🔧 Enhanced Developer Experience

Automatic Workspace Switching: Newly created contracts automatically become your active workspace
Terminal Auto-Navigation: Terminal automatically cds into new contract directories
Smart Dependency Checking: Automatically prompts to install missing tools (cargo-near, near-cli-rs)
Command Palette Integration: All features accessible via VS Code Command Palette
Context Menu Actions: Right-click file explorer integration for quick actions
Task Integration: Built-in VS Code tasks for NEAR operations

Installation

Prerequisites

Before using Near Studio, ensure you have the following installed:

Required:

Node.js (v16 or higher) - Download
Rust (latest stable) - Install via rustup
cargo-near - NEAR's Rust contract build tool:
```
cargo install cargo-near
```
near-cli-rs - Modern NEAR CLI (Rust version):
```
cargo install near-cli-rs
```

Additional Rust Setup:

# Install Rust (if not already installed)
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# Add WebAssembly target
rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown

# Install NEAR tooling
cargo install cargo-near
cargo install near-cli-rs

Installing the Extension

Option 1: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "Near Studio"
Click Install

Option 2: Manual Installation

Download the latest .vsix file from GitHub Releases
In VS Code, go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Click the ... menu → "Install from VSIX..."
Select the downloaded .vsix file

Option 3: Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/Festivemena/Near-Studio.git
cd Near-Studio
npm install
npm run compile
npm run package
# Install the generated .vsix file

Quick Start

Creating Your First Contract

Open the NEAR Studio Sidebar
- Click the NEAR Studio icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
- Or use Command Palette: View: Show Near Studio
Create a New Contract
- Click "🚀 Create New Contract" in the Project Explorer panel
- Enter your contract name (e.g., my-first-contract)
- The extension will:
  - Run cargo near new <project-name>
  - Automatically open the new contract directory as your workspace
  - Switch the terminal to the contract directory
Build and Deploy
- Click "🔨 Build & Deploy" dropdown
- Choose "Random Account" for quick testing (creates a new testnet account)
- Or choose "Select Account" to deploy to a saved account
Interact with Your Contract
- After deployment, click "Open Contract Interface"
- View and call contract methods through the interactive UI
- Or use the terminal for manual interactions

Adding Your First Account

Open the Account Manager panel in the sidebar
Click the "+" button
Choose:
- Quick Create Testnet Account - Instant testnet account with faucet funding
- Create New Account - Manual account creation
- Import Existing Account - Import via private key or seed phrase

Integrated Sidebar

Project Explorer

The Project Explorer provides quick-access buttons for common development tasks:

🚀 Create New Contract

Opens a prompt for contract name
Validates naming conventions (lowercase, numbers, hyphens, underscores)
Checks for cargo-near installation (prompts to install if missing)
Runs cargo near new <project-name>
Automatically opens the new contract directory
Automatically switches terminal to the new directory

🔨 Build & Deploy (Dropdown)

Two deployment options:

🎲 Random Account
- Generates a unique random account name
- Creates account on testnet with faucet funding
- Builds and deploys contract automatically
- Parses contract ABI and opens interactive interface
📋 Select Account
- Lists all saved accounts from Account Manager
- Shows account ID, network, and balance
- Deploys to selected account
- Parses contract ABI and opens interactive interface

🧪 Run Tests

Executes cargo test in the current workspace
Opens terminal to show test results
Works with any Rust project containing tests

Contract Manager

Automatically detects and manages NEAR contracts in your workspace:

Real-time Detection: Watches for Cargo.toml, package.json, asconfig.json
Build Status: Shows ✅ Built or ⚠️ Not Built based on compiled artifacts
Type Identification: 🦀 Rust, 📜 JavaScript, ⚡ AssemblyScript
Quick Navigation: Click any contract to switch workspace to that directory
Auto-Refresh: File system watchers detect changes automatically
Manual Refresh: 🔄 button to force refresh

Account Manager

Complete account lifecycle management:

Adding Accounts

Quick Create Testnet Account: One-click testnet account with faucet
Create New Account: Manual account creation with custom ID
Import Existing Account: Import via private key or seed phrase

Account Actions

Switch Account: Set active account for deployments
View on Explorer: Opens account in NEAR Explorer (testnet/mainnet)
Balance Display: Shows NEAR balance for each account
Network Badge: Visual indicator for testnet/mainnet

Usage Guide

Working with Contracts

Creating a Contract

1. Click "🚀 Create New Contract"
2. Enter name: my-contract
3. Wait for cargo near new to complete
4. Workspace automatically opens to my-contract/
5. Terminal is ready at my-contract/ directory

Building and Deploying

1. Click "🔨 Build & Deploy" dropdown
2. Choose deployment method:
   - Random Account: For quick testing
   - Select Account: For specific account deployment
3. Contract builds and deploys automatically
4. Contract interface opens automatically

Testing Contracts

1. Click "🧪 Run Tests"
2. Terminal opens with cargo test output
3. View test results in real-time

Interacting with Deployed Contracts

After deployment:

Click "Open Contract Interface" in the notification
The Contract Interface webview opens showing:
- View Methods (read-only): Query contract state
- Call Methods (state-changing): Execute transactions
Enter parameters as JSON
Click View or Call to execute
Results appear in terminal

Managing Multiple Contracts

View All Contracts: Contract Manager shows all detected contracts
Switch Between Contracts: Click any contract card to switch workspace
Track Build Status: Quickly see which contracts are built
Refresh Detection: Use 🔄 if new contracts aren't detected

Available Commands

All commands are accessible via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Contract Commands

Command	Description
`Near: Create New Rust Contract`	Create a new Rust smart contract
`Near: Build Contract`	Build the current contract with cargo near
`Near: Test Contract`	Run contract tests with cargo test
`Near: Deploy Contract (Existing Account)`	Deploy to an existing account
`Near: Deploy Contract (New Dev Account)`	Deploy to a new random dev account
`Near: Setup Rust Toolchain`	Install required Rust tools

Account Commands

Command	Description
`Near: Add Account`	Add a new account to the manager
`Near: Create New Account`	Create a new NEAR account
`Near: Quick Create Testnet Account`	Quick testnet account with faucet
`Near: Import Existing Account`	Import account with keys
`Near: Switch Account`	Change active account
`Near: View Account on Explorer`	Open account in NEAR Explorer

Code Snippets

Near Studio includes a comprehensive library of Rust snippets for rapid development:

Contract Structure Snippets

near-contract - Complete contract structure with imports and basic setup
near-init - Contract initialization method
near-default - Default implementation for contract

Method Snippets

near-view - View method (read-only)
near-call - Call method (state-changing)
near-payable - Payable method (accepts NEAR tokens)
near-private - Private method

Storage Snippets

near-storage-map - UnorderedMap storage collection
near-storage-set - UnorderedSet storage collection
near-storage-vec - Vector storage collection
near-lazy-option - LazyOption for large data

Cross-Contract Calls

near-cross-contract - Cross-contract call setup
near-promise - Promise chaining
near-callback - Callback method

Testing Snippets

near-test - Complete test module setup
near-test-context - Test context initialization
near-test-deposit - Test with attached deposit

Example Usage:

Type near-view and press Tab to generate:

#[near_bindgen]
impl Contract {
    pub fn method_name(&self) -> ReturnType {
        // TODO: Implement view method
    }
}

Project Structure

Generated Rust Contract

When you create a new contract, cargo near new generates this structure:

my-contract/
├── Cargo.toml              # Rust package configuration
├── rust-toolchain.toml     # Rust toolchain specification (if applicable)
├── src/
│   └── lib.rs              # Main contract code
├── tests/
│   └── test_basics.rs      # Integration tests (if generated)
└── target/
    └── near/
        ├── my_contract.wasm    # Compiled contract
        └── my_contract_abi.json # Contract ABI

Key Files:

Cargo.toml: Defines dependencies (near-sdk-rs, etc.)
src/lib.rs: Your smart contract implementation
target/near/: Build outputs created by cargo near build

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "cargo: command not found"

Problem: Rust is not installed or not in PATH

Solution:

# Install Rust
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# Add to PATH (Linux/Mac)
source $HOME/.cargo/env

# Restart VS Code after installation

2. "cargo-near: command not found"

Problem: cargo-near is not installed

Solution:

cargo install cargo-near

# Restart terminal/VS Code

3. "near-cli-rs: command not found"

Problem: near-cli-rs is not installed

Solution:

cargo install near-cli-rs

# Restart terminal/VS Code

4. Contracts not showing in Contract Manager

Problem: Extension not detecting contracts

Solutions:

Click the 🔄 Refresh button in Contract Manager
Ensure your project has Cargo.toml (Rust) or package.json (JS/TS)
Check that Cargo.toml includes near-sdk dependency
Try closing and reopening VS Code
Check Output panel: View → Output → "NEAR Studio" for errors

5. "wasm32-unknown-unknown target not found"

Problem: WebAssembly target not installed

Solution:

rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown

6. Contract doesn't deploy

Problem: Various deployment issues

Solutions:

Ensure contract is built: Check target/near/ directory exists
Verify account has sufficient balance (testnet: use faucet)
Check network connectivity
Verify account credentials are correct
Review terminal output for specific error messages

7. Workspace doesn't automatically open after contract creation

Problem: New contract directory not opening

Solutions:

Wait 2-5 seconds for directory creation
Check terminal for errors during cargo near new
Manually open the contract folder if needed
Ensure you have write permissions in the workspace directory

8. Contract Interface shows "ABI not found"

Problem: Contract ABI file not generated

Solutions:

Ensure contract was built with cargo near build
Check target/near/*.json file exists
Rebuild contract and redeploy
Ensure contract uses #[near_bindgen] macro

Build and Deployment Tips

Rust Contract Development

# Fast syntax checking (no compilation)
cargo check

# Run tests
cargo test

# Build contract
cargo near build

# Deploy to testnet
cargo near deploy --account-id your-account.testnet

Debugging Build Errors

# Verbose build output
RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo near build

# Clean and rebuild
cargo clean
cargo near build

Gas Optimization

Minimize storage reads/writes
Use efficient data structures (UnorderedMap, Vector)
Avoid unnecessary String allocations
Batch operations when possible
Test gas usage with cargo test

Performance Tips

Use Code Snippets: Type near- and press Tab for quick scaffolding
Keep Terminal Open: Reduces context switching
Use Contract Manager: Quick navigation between multiple contracts
Leverage Auto-Refresh: File watchers detect changes automatically

Roadmap

✅ Completed Features (v0.2.2)

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! Here's how you can help:

Ways to Contribute

Report Bugs: Open an issue with details
Request Features: Share your ideas in GitHub Discussions
Submit Pull Requests: Fork, branch, and submit PRs for review
Improve Documentation: Help us make docs clearer
Share Feedback: Tell us what works and what doesn't

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Festivemena/Near-Studio.git
cd Near-Studio

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Watch for changes (development)
npm run watch

# Package extension
npm run package

Submitting Pull Requests

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
Make your changes
Test thoroughly
Commit with clear messages: git commit -m "Add: feature description"
Push to your fork: git push origin feature/my-feature
Open a Pull Request with a detailed description

Code Guidelines

Follow existing TypeScript conventions
Add comments for complex logic
Update README.md if adding features
Test on Windows, Mac, and Linux if possible

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Support & Community

Documentation

NEAR Docs: https://docs.near.org/
near-sdk-rs: https://docs.rs/near-sdk/
cargo-near: https://github.com/near/cargo-near

Get Help

GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
GitHub Discussions: Ask questions and share ideas
NEAR Discord: https://discord.gg/nearprotocol

Stay Updated

GitHub Releases: Watch for updates
Star the repo: Show your support and stay notified

Changelog

v0.2.2 (Latest)

Added automatic workspace switching for new contracts
Added terminal auto-navigation to contract directories
Improved contract creation workflow
Enhanced build and deploy features

v0.2.1

Stable release with contract testing support
Added build and deploy to random account feature
Project Explorer enhancements

v0.2.0

Rust-focused release
Major improvements to cargo-near integration
Enhanced sidebar panels

v0.1.3

Initial stable build
Basic contract management features

🚀 Ready to Build on NEAR?

Install Near Studio and experience the best NEAR smart contract development workflow in VS Code!

Install from Marketplace | View on GitHub | Report Issue

Made with ❤️ by Festivemena and contributors

Star ⭐ the repo if you find it helpful!

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 53 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
assets		assets
out		out
snippets		snippets
src		src
.gitignore		.gitignore
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONTRIBUTING.MD		CONTRIBUTING.MD
LICENSE.txt		LICENSE.txt
README.md		README.md
near-studio-0.2.2.vsix		near-studio-0.2.2.vsix
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

License

Festivemena/Near-Studio

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

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Near Studio - VS Code Extension

Table of Contents

Features

🚀 Core Capabilities

🎛️ Integrated Sidebar Panels

Project Explorer

Contract Manager

Account Manager

🔧 Enhanced Developer Experience

Installation

Prerequisites

Required:

Additional Rust Setup:

Installing the Extension

Option 1: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

Option 2: Manual Installation

Option 3: Build from Source

Quick Start

Creating Your First Contract

Adding Your First Account

Integrated Sidebar

Project Explorer

🚀 Create New Contract

🔨 Build & Deploy (Dropdown)

🧪 Run Tests

Contract Manager

Account Manager

Adding Accounts

Account Actions

Usage Guide

Working with Contracts

Creating a Contract

Building and Deploying

Testing Contracts

Interacting with Deployed Contracts

Managing Multiple Contracts

Available Commands

Contract Commands

Account Commands

Code Snippets

Contract Structure Snippets

Method Snippets

Storage Snippets

Cross-Contract Calls

Testing Snippets

Example Usage:

Project Structure

Generated Rust Contract

Key Files:

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "cargo: command not found"

2. "cargo-near: command not found"

3. "near-cli-rs: command not found"

4. Contracts not showing in Contract Manager

5. "wasm32-unknown-unknown target not found"

6. Contract doesn't deploy

7. Workspace doesn't automatically open after contract creation

8. Contract Interface shows "ABI not found"

Build and Deployment Tips

Rust Contract Development

Debugging Build Errors

Gas Optimization

Performance Tips

Roadmap

✅ Completed Features (v0.2.2)

Contributing

Ways to Contribute

Development Setup

Submitting Pull Requests

Code Guidelines

License

Support & Community

Documentation

Packages