DocsUse

The VS Code extension

Index the workspace, search it, and see what a change affects from the cursor or a code lens, with BBM-Atlas's tools offered to Copilot's agent mode.

Getting it

It contains no BBM-Atlas code of its own. It runs the BBM-Atlas installed in your Python, or connects to a server you already run, and calls its REST API.

By default (bbmAtlas.server.mode: auto) the extension starts BBM-Atlas itself, on a free loopback port, and stops it with the window. The status bar shows where it stands, and clicking it offers the next step:

Status	Meaning	Click to
Restricted	The workspace isn't trusted, so no Python runs	Manage workspace trust
No Python	No Python 3.11 or newer was found	Choose a Python
Not installed	Python found, without BBM-Atlas 1.0 or newer	Install BBM-Atlas (with pip, after you agree)
Ready	Serving; it also shows indexing or indexed	Search, or index
Failed	It couldn't start, or stopped	Show the log

It looks for Python in bbmAtlas.pythonPath, then the Python extension's selected interpreter, then python3 and python (python and py -3 on Windows), preferring one that already has BBM-Atlas.

To use a server you run yourself - a team server, or one with your Enterprise licence - set bbmAtlas.server.mode to external and bbmAtlas.server.url to its address, then run BBM-Atlas: Set API Key if it requires one.

What it does

Indexing. Each workspace folder is indexed when the server starts and again shortly after you save, with progress you can cancel. Only changed files are parsed again.
Analyze Impact. From the cursor, or the Impact code lens above every function, method and class: the Impact view lists what depends on the symbol, grouped by distance, with the tests that cover it apart. A click opens a symbol at its line.
Search. A quick pick that searches every indexed folder as you type.
Repositories. A view of each folder's symbols, files and languages, to re-index or remove.
The console. Open Web Console, and Show in Graph Explorer for the symbol at the cursor, in VS Code's browser.
Copilot. The server's tools are offered to the editor's AI assistant over MCP, with no configuration. Copy MCP Configuration writes the entry for another editor.

Settings

Setting	Default	What it does
`bbmAtlas.server.mode`	`auto`	Run BBM-Atlas (`auto`) or use one already running (`external`)
`bbmAtlas.server.url`	`http://127.0.0.1:8000`	The server, in `external` mode
`bbmAtlas.pythonPath`	empty	The Python to run BBM-Atlas with
`bbmAtlas.index.onStartup`	`true`	Index the workspace when the server starts
`bbmAtlas.index.onSave`	`true`	Re-index a folder after a file in it is saved
`bbmAtlas.impact.maxDepth`	`3`	How many hops impact analysis follows
`bbmAtlas.impact.includeTests`	`false`	Also list the tests that cover what a change affects
`bbmAtlas.codeLens.enabled`	`true`	Show the Impact code lens
`bbmAtlas.mcp.enabled`	`true`	Offer the tools to the editor's AI assistant

Keys and privacy

The API key and the licence key (BBM-Atlas: Enter Licence Key, passed to the server the extension starts) are kept in VS Code's secret storage, never in settings.
The server the extension starts listens on loopback only.
The extension sends no telemetry.

Known limits