Visual Studio 2026 shipped last week, and like a lot of devs, I installed it immediately. The new UI polish looked great. The editor surfaces felt modern. Then I opened a file and hit something familiar:
My favorite themes had not updated.
No previews. No experimental builds. No support for the new classification keys introduced in VS2026.
Instead of waiting, I built the update myself and, in the process, created a full semantic theme pipeline.
Honeypunk is a palette-driven, YAML-based system that lets you define color intent once and generate a complete Visual Studio theme automatically. No hex hunting. No drift. No fragile edits.
Repository: https://github.com/tatteddev/Honeypunk
Why Manual Theme Editing Fails
Visual Studio theming is powerful but tedious. Updating themes manually is slow and error prone, especially when a major version adds new editor surfaces.
Common issues include:
- Hex values scattered across huge JSON theme files
- Small tweaks creating near-duplicate colors
- New VS releases breaking old themes
- One color change often requiring 20 or more key edits
- No auditing for unused or duplicate colors
- Experimentation requiring too much overhead
Honeypunk introduces a semantic, declarative approach that avoids all of this.
The Pipeline Model
Honeypunk follows a predictable, declarative flow:
Palette → Roles → Mappings → Build → VSIX
Palette
The palette is the root of the system. All colors are centralized into a single file with:
- Human-readable names
- Contrast rules
- Usage intent (foreground, accent, diagnostic, background)
- Structure that allows global shifts with a single edit
Roles
Roles describe what a token represents, not what color it uses. Examples:
- function
- variable
- type
- interface
- keyword
- comment
- string
- operator
Roles point to palette entries, never hex values.
Mappings
Mappings connect semantic roles to actual Visual Studio classification keys. This file handles:
- VS2022 through VS2026 classifications
- ReSharper keys
- Background and foreground tokens
- New surfaces introduced by 2026
Build Scripts
The Python tooling:
- Loads palette, roles, mappings
- Resolves semantic intent to actual colors
- Validates for errors, typos, unmapped items
- Preserves flags like transparency
- Generates a deterministic theme file
VSIX
The final packaging step creates a distributable Visual Studio extension supporting:
- VS2022
- VS2025
- VS2026
The entire pipeline allows rebuilds in seconds.
Core Files
Honeypunk.yaml
Defines high-level theme structure:
- Editor
- Chrome and toolbars
- Tool windows
- Accent states
- Debugging and caret surfaces
- Selection and inlay hints
palette.md
A complete list of named colors with:
- Hex values
- Usage recommendations
- Contrast notes
- Accessibility considerations
roles.yaml
Maps semantic intent to palette names, for example:
functions: NeonYellow
variables: ChromeTeal
comments: SlateGray
mappings.yaml
Links roles to actual Visual Studio classification keys.
apply_palette.py
Reads all YAML files, applies semantic roles, enforces safety checks, and produces the resolved theme.
build_vsix.py
Packages the final theme into a VSIX with the necessary manifest metadata.
Palette Philosophy
The Honeypunk palette is intentionally structured for clarity and reduced fatigue.
Background tier
Deep gunmetal and charcoal tones that minimize glare.
Text tier
Neutral off-white and slate values optimized for long reading sessions.
Accent tier
Electric blues, neon yellows, and magentas used sparingly and intentionally.
Diagnostic triad
- Orange for warnings
- Magenta for attention
- Green for success
The palette supports fast code scanning and visual consistency across large files.
Updating for Visual Studio 2026
VS2026 introduced new:
- Classification keys
- Chrome surfaces
- Editor states
- Accent highlights
A manual update would require reviewing every affected surface.
Honeypunk reduced this to a few mapping adjustments and a single rebuild.
Extending the System
Honeypunk was built for growth.
Adding a new role
Add to roles.yaml and map in mappings.yaml.
Adding a new color
Add to palette.md and reference it in roles.
Multiple theme variants
Create separate YAML build configurations sharing the same palette.
Coming soon
- Accessibility variants
- JSON diff reports
- Live preview experiments
- CI checks for color drift
Troubleshooting
Common fixes:
- Theme not showing: verify VSIX manifest GUID.
- Odd colors: check palette name for typos.
- Build failure: YAML indentation error.
- Missing token updates: mapping entry missing.
Try It Yourself
Clone the repo and modify a single role.
Rebuild the VSIX.
Install and restart Visual Studio.
You will immediately see how semantic theming makes iteration effortless.
Repository: https://github.com/tatteddev/Honeypunk
Originally published at:
https://tatteddev.com/blog/honeypunk-semantic-theme-pipeline-vs2026/
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