DocumentDB for VS Code

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How to Construct a URL That Opens a Connection in the Extension

DocumentDB for VS Code supports activation through custom URLs, enabling you to integrate the extension seamlessly with your development environment and build deep links directly to your DocumentDB and MongoDB clusters. This powerful feature allows you to create shortcuts that can open specific connections, navigate to particular databases, or even jump directly to a collection view within the extension.

This URL-based activation is particularly useful for:

• Development Workflow Integration: Create bookmarks or shortcuts that instantly connect to your frequently used databases
• Team Collaboration: Share direct links to specific database resources with your team members
• Documentation and Tutorials: Embed clickable links in documentation that open specific database connections
• External Tool Integration: Allow other applications to launch DocumentDB for VS Code with pre-configured connections

URL Syntax

The prefix for URLs handled by this extension is:

vscode://ms-azuretools.vscode-documentdb

Supported Parameters

The following table lists all supported URL parameters:

Parameter	Required	Description	Example Value
connectionString	Yes	The MongoDB/DocumentDB connection string (double URL-encoded)	mongodb%253A%252F%252F...
database	No	Name of the database to open after connection	myDatabase
collection	No	Name of the collection to open (requires database parameter)	myCollection

Parameter Details

• connectionString: The core parameter that defines the database connection. Must be a valid DocumentDB or MongoDB connection string that has been double URL-encoded (see encoding section below). Note: While it’s possible to include a database name in the connection string, it’s recommended to use the separate database parameter instead to keep the API simple and consistent.
• database: When provided, the extension will automatically navigate to the specified database after establishing the connection.
• collection: When provided along with database, the extension will open the Collection View for the specified collection within that database.

Double Encoding

The connectionString parameter must be encoded twice to ensure proper parsing. This is because the connection string itself contains special characters that need to be preserved through the URL parsing process.

Encoding Process

The encoding happens in two steps:

1. First encoding: Standard URL encoding of the connection string
2. Second encoding: URL encoding of the already-encoded string

For example, the string "mongo+srv://" would be transformed as follows:

1. Original string:

   mongo+srv://
   

2. First encoding:

   mongo%2Bsrv%3A%2F%2F
   

3. Second encoding (final result):

   mongo%252Bsrv%253A%252F%252F
   

This double encoding ensures that the URL is correctly parsed by both the operating system and the extension.

Examples

Here are practical examples of URLs with their decoded connection strings for clarity:

Example 1: Basic Connection

vscode://ms-azuretools.vscode-documentdb?connectionString=mongodb%253A%252F%252Fusername%253Apassword%2540localhost%253A27017

Parameter	Decoded Value
connectionString	mongodb://username:password@localhost:27017

Example 2: Connection with Database Navigation

vscode://ms-azuretools.vscode-documentdb?connectionString=mongodb%253A%252F%252Fmyuser%253Amypass%2540localhost%253A27017&database=analytics

Parameter	Decoded Value
connectionString	mongodb://myuser:mypass@localhost:27017
database	analytics

This URL will connect to the database and automatically navigate to the analytics database.

Example 3: Direct Collection Access

vscode://ms-azuretools.vscode-documentdb?connectionString=mongodb%253A%252F%252Fadmin%253Asecret%2540localhost%253A27017%252Fecommerce&database=ecommerce&collection=orders

Parameter	Decoded Value
connectionString	mongodb://admin:secret@localhost:27017/ecommerce
database	ecommerce
collection	orders

This URL will connect to the database, navigate to the ecommerce database, and open the Collection View for the orders collection.

How It Works

When you click a DocumentDB for VS Code URL, the following process occurs:

1. Activation: The vscode:// prefix tells the operating system to activate VS Code. The ms-azuretools.vscode-documentdb segment activates the DocumentDB for VS Code extension.

2. Connection Handling:

   • The extension parses the connectionString parameter and creates a new connection in the Connections View.
   • If a connection with the same host and username already exists, the existing connection will be selected instead of creating a duplicate.

3. Navigation (if additional parameters are provided):

   • If the database parameter is provided, the extension navigates to that database.
   • If both database and collection parameters are provided, the extension opens the Collection View for the specified collection.

Additional Notes

• Ensure the connectionString is valid and properly double-encoded to avoid connection errors.
• The extension will handle authentication and connection establishment automatically.
• Invalid or malformed URLs will display appropriate error messages to help with troubleshooting.

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