Ghost Note

Product Introduction

1. Ghost Note is a Visual Studio Code extension that enables developers to attach contextual comments, images, videos, and tags directly to code symbols without altering the source code. It operates as a non-intrusive layer for documentation, ensuring codebases remain clean while allowing users to embed private notes and multimedia resources.
2. The core value of Ghost Note lies in its ability to preserve code integrity by decoupling developer annotations from the code itself, enabling structured knowledge management, real-time debugging insights, and AI-powered search capabilities within the IDE.

Main Features

1. Ghost Note allows users to attach rich media (text, images, videos) and custom tags to code symbols like functions or variables, stored locally and excluded from Git tracking to prevent repository pollution.
2. The extension integrates AI-powered search to quickly locate notes across projects, with metadata linking notes to specific symbols and workspace directories for seamless organization.
3. Developers can categorize symbols using custom tags and attach reference files (e.g., screenshots to React components) directly within the editor, creating a contextual knowledge base without code modifications.

Problems Solved

1. Ghost Note eliminates codebase clutter caused by inline comments and external documentation by storing developer annotations separately, ensuring clean commits and reduced merge conflicts.
2. It targets software developers, engineering teams, and technical leads who require persistent, context-specific notes for debugging, code reviews, or architectural decisions without disrupting workflows.
3. Typical use cases include documenting transient debugging hypotheses during runtime, tracking refactoring plans linked to specific functions, and embedding visual guides (e.g., UI mockups) directly within component definitions.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike traditional comment systems or external wikis, Ghost Note uses symbol-level anchoring to store notes as metadata, enabling granular context association without altering source files or requiring external tools.
2. The extension introduces workspace-aware storage that automatically reconnects notes after directory changes and supports AI-driven cross-project search, a feature absent in most IDE plugins.
3. Competitive advantages include Microsoft’s 2025 Featured Extension designation, zero Git footprint through local storage, and multi-format attachment support unavailable in alternatives like VS Code’s native comments API.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Will my Ghost Notes be visible to others or committed to Git? Ghost Notes are stored locally in your machine’s workspace metadata, excluded from Git tracking by design, ensuring they remain private and never appear in version control histories or collaborator environments.
2. Where are Ghost Notes stored? Notes are saved in a dedicated local directory linked to your VS Code workspace, with automatic prompts to relocate metadata if you rename or move the project folder.
3. Can I sync or share Ghost Notes with my team? Ghost Notes currently operate as a personal tool without sync capabilities, but team collaboration features are under active development and planned for future releases.