VS Code Extension

The Flutter Compile extension for VS Code (v0.3.1) brings SDK management, diagnostics, and engine build controls directly into your editor.

Installation

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "Flutter Compile"
Click Install

Requires VS Code 1.85.0 or later and the flutter_compile CLI installed globally.

Features

The extension adds an activity bar icon with three panels:

SDKs Panel

View all installed Flutter SDK versions
Install new SDKs with version picker
Set global default (globe icon)
Pin SDK to current project (pin icon)
Remove SDKs (trash icon)
Open SDK folder in file manager
Contributor builds shown separately

Doctor Panel

Grouped diagnostic checks (Required Tools, Engine Tools, Config, Environments)
Install/fix actions for failing checks (wrench icon)
Uninstall action for passing environments

Engine Builds Panel

View available engine build targets with disk sizes
Initialize engine environment
Build engine from the panel
Delete individual builds

Status Bar

The status bar displays the current global Flutter SDK version. Click it to open a quick-pick switcher for changing SDKs.

File Watcher

The extension watches .flutter-version for external changes (e.g. from the CLI or another tool). When the file changes, the extension automatically:

Updates the status bar
Updates dart.flutterSdkPath workspace setting
Refreshes the SDK panel

Terminal Environment

The extension sets FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK in VS Code terminal sessions with applyAtShellIntegration. This ensures the project-pinned SDK is used in terminal sessions, surviving shell initialization.

Commands

Command	Description
`Flutter Compile: Install SDK`	Install a new Flutter SDK version
`Flutter Compile: Doctor`	Run environment diagnostics
`Flutter Compile: Remove SDK`	Remove an installed SDK
`Flutter Compile: Set Global SDK`	Set the global default SDK
`Flutter Compile: Pin SDK to Project`	Pin a version to the current project
`Flutter Compile: Open SDK Folder`	Open SDK directory in file manager
`Flutter Compile: Refresh All`	Refresh all sidebar panels
`Flutter Compile: Toggle SDK Manager`	Switch between Native and FVM backends

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`flutterCompile.sdkManager`	`native`	SDK manager backend: `native` or `fvm`
`flutterCompile.cliPath`	`flutter_compile`	Path to the flutter_compile CLI binary

Backend Toggle (Native vs FVM)

The extension supports two SDK management backends:

Native (default) — uses flutter_compile's built-in SDK management
FVM — uses FVM as the SDK backend

Toggle between them using the Flutter Compile: Toggle SDK Manager command or the mode button in the sidebar toolbar.

Auto-Migration

On activation, the extension automatically migrates the shell env file to the latest format with the FLUTTER_COMPILE_SDK guard. This is a one-time operation that ensures IDE terminals use the correct SDK.