Package Inspector

A VS Code extension that previews binary package files — APK, AAB, IPA, EXE, and many more — right inside the editor, with rich metadata and quick Finder/Explorer actions. No need to unzip or run external tools just to see what a package contains.

Features

• Custom read-only viewer for binary package files, opened straight from the explorer or editor.
• File metadata at a glance: type label, size, created/modified dates, absolute path, and SHA-256 checksum.
• Deep inspection of common package formats:
  • Windows .exe — parses the PE header to show architecture (x86 / x64 / ARM / ARM64), PE magic (PE32 / PE32+), and subsystem (GUI, console, EFI, etc.).
  • Android .apk — manifest presence, DEX count, native ABIs, and whether assets/ and res/ are present.
  • Android .aab — feature modules, DEX count, and native ABIs.
  • iOS .ipa — app name, Info.plist, embedded provisioning profile, and PkgInfo.
  • Zip-based archives (.vsix, .xpi, .jar, .war, .ear, .whl, .msix, .appx) — entry count and contents overview.
• Quick actions — reveal the file in Finder/Explorer, and copy its path, name, or SHA-256 hash to the clipboard.
• Configurable file associations — add or remove the extensions that open in the viewer without leaving the editor.

Supported file types

Category	Extensions
Mobile	.apk, .aab, .ipa
Windows	.exe, .msi, .msix, .appx
macOS	.dmg, .pkg
Linux	.deb, .rpm, .AppImage, .snap, .flatpak
Browser / Editor extensions	.vsix, .crx, .xpi
Java	.jar, .war, .ear
Other	.bin, .whl, .tgz, .phar, .gem, .wasm

Usage

• Click a supported file in the Explorer to open it in the Package Inspector viewer.
• Right-click a file and choose Open with Package Inspector.
• From the viewer toolbar, use Reveal in Finder or the copy buttons for path, name, and hash.

Commands

Command	Description
Open with Package Inspector	Open the selected file in the viewer
Reveal in Finder	Show the file in Finder/Explorer
Add Current Extension to Package Inspector	Register the current file's extension with the viewer
Remove Current Extension from Package Inspector	Unregister the current file's extension

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
packageInspector.extensions	(full list above)	File extensions that should open with Package Inspector
packageInspector.calculateSha256	true	Calculate and display the SHA-256 hash for previewed files
packageInspector.maxHashFileSizeMb	50	Maximum file size (MB) for automatic SHA-256 calculation
packageInspector.defaultOpenMode	preview	Preferred behavior for supported binary package files

Development

npm install      # install dependencies
npm run compile  # bundle the extension with esbuild
npm run watch    # rebuild on change

Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host with the extension loaded.