You just crushed a 3-hour debugging marathon. That algorithm? Finally working. Your coffee's gone cold, your focus is fried, and the last thing you want to do is open a blank document and write about it.
So you don't.
And just like that, another valuable learning disappears into the void. 🦗
If this sounds painfully familiar, you're not alone. As developers, we're problem-solving machines, but translating those "aha!" moments into written content? That's a completely different task, requiring a significant amount of our CPU. Context switching fatigue, the tyranny of the blank page, and the sheer exhaustion of trying to remember what you learned three commits ago, all add up to one thing: most technical posts never get written (or do they?) 😂
The Real Cost of Unwritten Content
Here's what we lose when we don't write:
- Personal growth: Writing deepens understanding (rubber duck debugging, but permanent)
- Career opportunities: Your next job/client is googling problems you've solved
- Community impact: Someone right now is struggling with the exact problem you just conquered
- Compounding knowledge: Future-you will forget today's insights
The solution isn't "try harder" or "make time." The solution is capturing insights while they're fresh, without leaving your flow state.
Introducing CodeDraft: Your Coding Companion That Writes With You
CodeDraft is a VS Code extension that transforms your development work into blog-ready drafts automatically. Think of it as a second brain that remembers everything you learned today, and helps you share it tomorrow.
🎯 What Makes CodeDraft Different
1. Zero Context Switching
CodeDraft lives in your sidebar. No new apps, no browser tabs, no "I'll write this up later." Capture insights with a hotkey and keep coding.
2. Intelligent Capture System
- Code snippets (with automatic context, no more missing setup code)
- Git commits that tell a story ("Fixed debounce logic" → blog material)
- Quick learning notes for those "oh, THAT'S why it works" moments
3. AI-Powered Draft Generation
Feed it your week's captures, and CodeDraft generates SEO-friendly titles and complete draft outlines. Works with local AI (Ollama) or cloud providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini).
🚀 Real Example: From Code to Content
// You write this elegant solution:
function debounce(func, wait) {
let timeout;
return (...args) => {
clearTimeout(timeout);
timeout = setTimeout(() => func(...args), wait);
};
}
// You commit: "Optimized search with debounce + cancellation"
// CodeDraft captures: snippet + commit + surrounding context
// Next day, you click "Generate Draft" →
📝 Draft Output:
# How I Fixed My React App's Performance with Smart Debouncing
## The Problem: Search Lagging on Every Keystroke
## The Solution: Debounce with Proper Cleanup
## Code Example & Explanation
## Key Lessons Learned
Boom. You've got a framework. All you need is 15 minutes to flesh it out.
Who Needs CodeDraft? (Probably You)
✍️ Engineers Building Their Brand
"I know I should write, but by Friday I'm too burned out."
→ Let CodeDraft do the heavy lifting. You just polish and publish.
🛠️ Indie Hackers & Solo Developers
"My audience craves behind-the-scenes content, but documenting kills my momentum."
→ Capture your build-in-public journey without stopping to write essays.
🌟 Open-Source Contributors
"I spend hours explaining PRs in comments. Can't that be a blog post?"
→ Absolutely. CodeDraft turns your contributions into shareable technical narratives.
See It In Action: 3 Real Workflows
Scenario 1: The Weekend Side Project
Saturday: You build a Next.js blog with fancy API caching.
CodeDraft captures: Your route refactoring + caching trick + deployment notes.
Sunday: CodeDraft suggests: "How I Built a Blazing-Fast Blog in 8 Hours with Next.js"
Scenario 2: The Open-Source Hero
Monday: You merge a PR fixing a memory leak.
CodeDraft captures: Commit history + code diffs + your diagnostic process.
Tuesday: AI generates: "Hunting a Memory Leak in Production: A Node.js Detective Story"
Scenario 3: The Daily Grinder
All Week: You fix bugs, refactor components, and learn small lessons.
Friday: Run CodeDraft: Weekly Review → 3 potential blog posts appear.
Choose one, spend 20 minutes editing, publish.
Get Started in 3 Minutes (Seriously)
Step 1: Install the Extension
→ Get CodeDraft on the VS Code Marketplace
Step 2: Choose Your AI (Local or Cloud)
Option A: Local & Private (Recommended for beginners)
# Install Ollama
brew install ollama # or download from ollama.com
# Run a model
ollama run llama3
# In VS Code → Settings → "CodeDraft: AI Provider" → Select "Ollama"
Option B: Cloud AI (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini)
Just add your API key in CodeDraft settings. Done.
Step 3: Capture & Create
| Action | Hotkey | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Capture code snippet |
Cmd+Shift+C (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+C (Win) |
Grabs selected code + context |
| Add quick note | Cmd+Shift+L |
Jot down "why this works" insights |
| Generate draft | Cmd+Shift+G |
Creates blog outline from captures |
Pro Tip: Start by capturing just one interesting snippet today. See how it feels. You don't need a week's worth of data to get value.
This Is Open Source, And We Need You
CodeDraft is fully open source because the best developer tools are built by developers, for developers.
🛠️ Ways to Contribute
Not a coder? No problem!
- 🐛 Report bugs or suggest features (GitHub Issues)
- 📖 Improve documentation (first-time contributors welcome!)
- 📣 Share your experience (tweet, blog, or just tell a friend)
Love to code? Even better! There are still a log of things needed to make this a perfect extension.
- 🚀 Help build v0.2.0 features (proactive capture, more AI providers)
- 🔌 Create integrations (Medium, Dev.to, Hashnode auto-publish)
- 🧪 Write tests (we need more coverage)
- 🌍 Add internationalisation support
- Create a plugin for JetBrains
Check out our Contributing Guide (first-time OSS contributors encouraged!)
💡 Roadmap Sneak Peek (Help Us Build It)
- ✅ v0.1.1: Reactive capture (current version)
- 🚧 v0.2.0: Proactive capture (automatically detect "interesting" commits)
- 🔮 v0.3.0: One-click publishing to Dev.to/Medium
- 🔮 v0.4.0: Team collaboration features
Want to influence what I build next? Star the repo and drop your ideas in Discussions.
The Bottom Line: Write More by Writing Less
You're not lazy for not writing. You're just human. Context switching is brutal, and traditional blogging tools weren't designed for developers who live in their editor.
CodeDraft flips the script: Instead of forcing writing into your workflow, it makes your workflow generate writing.
Try it this week:
- Install CodeDraft (2 minutes)
- Capture just one snippet or commit (30 seconds)
- Generate a draft next Friday (5 minutes)
If you're still sceptical, that's fair. But what if, by this time next month, you've published 3 posts without "making time" to write?
Your move.
📦 Quick Links
- Install: VS Code Marketplace
- Contribute: GitHub Repository
- Report Issues: GitHub Issues
Built with ❤️ for developers who deserve better content tools.
P.S. — If CodeDraft helps you publish even ONE post you wouldn't have written otherwise, please star the repo. It helps other devs discover the tool, and it genuinely makes my day. Thank you. 🙏
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