Projects & Workspaces

This page explains how to create and open ArchTect projects.

Quick start

Create a .dsl file (e.g., workspace.dsl) with your architecture model.
Open it in VS Code.
Click the ArchTect icon in the editor title bar to open the visual editor.

That’s it — no project setup wizard required.

Opening a DSL file

VS Code extension

Method	Steps
Editor title icon	Open a `.dsl` file → click the ArchTect icon in the title bar
Explorer context menu	Right-click a `.dsl` file → ArchTect: Open with ArchTect
Explorer context menu (folder)	Right-click a project folder → ArchTect: Open Project

Browser app

Open the ArchTect web app.
Open or upload your .dsl file.

Creating a new project

Use the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) → ArchTect: New Project to create a new workspace with a wizard. This generates a .dsl file with a basic structure.

Save behavior

Changes you make on the canvas or in the DSL editor are synced bidirectionally — the underlying DSL is updated as you edit, and Ctrl+S applies the change and flushes it to disk.

Environment	Save behavior
VS Code	The DSL content updates in real time as you edit on the canvas. The file tab shows as modified until you save; use `Ctrl+S` to flush to disk.
Browser app	`Ctrl+S` or the Save action writes changes to the project store.

Recommended folder conventions

Use a straightforward structure so other tools (CI, exporters) can locate DSL files:

<project-root>/
├── workspace.dsl         # primary DSL file
├── models/               # reusable model fragments (optional)
└── docs/                 # generated documentation and exports

Troubleshooting

File won’t open / wrong editor

Symptom: double-clicking .dsl opens plain text rather than ArchTect.

Fix: Click the ArchTect icon in the editor title bar, or right-click the file → Open With... → choose ArchTect.

Missing commands in Command Palette

Symptom: ArchTect: New Project not listed.

Fix: Ensure the extension is enabled, reload the window (Developer: Reload Window), and confirm the extension has loaded.

Conflicting saves or merge prompts

Symptom: save triggers a conflict dialog.

Fix: Review both versions in the diff view, merge changes, and save. Consider using source control to manage concurrent edits.