Open Once – VS Code / Code-Server Extension

Automatically open predefined files (like notebooks, configs, or environment files) when your workspace starts.
The list of files is controlled directly from your settings.json file.

Features

• Open any file(s) automatically on startup.
• Supports both VS Code and code-server environments.
• Works with Jupyter notebooks (if the Jupyter extension is installed).
• Listens for changes to your settings.json and reopens the updated files automatically.
• Closes all other editors to keep the workspace focused.
• Hides sidebars for a clean, distraction-free setup.
• Simple configuration – no extra commands required.

Configuration

Add an openOnce.files entry to your user or workspace settings.json:

{
  "openOnce.files": [
    "./genai-devday-notebooks/.env",
    "./genai-devday-notebooks/notebooks/vector-search-lab.ipynb"
  ]
}

The extension will automatically open these files when your editor starts (and whenever the list changes).

Notes

• Opening Jupyter notebooks require the Jupyter extension.
• If a file can’t be opened as a notebook (e.g. the Jupyter extension isn’t loaded yet), the extension will fall back to opening it as plain text.
• Designed for workshops, labs, and reproducible setups where attendees should start with the same files open.

Disclaimer

Use at your own risk; not a supported MongoDB product