Executable Talk - Ormasoft

Overview

Executable Talk transforms your Markdown presentations into live coding demonstrations with full VS Code integration. Navigate slides with keyboard shortcuts, execute actions by clicking links, and deliver seamless live coding demos with undo/redo support.

Features

Navigate Slides: Use arrow keys to navigate between slides in a full-screen presentation view
Execute Actions: Click on action links to open files, highlight code, run terminal commands, or start debug sessions
Undo/Redo: Recover from demo failures by undoing IDE changes with Cmd+Z / Ctrl+Z
Zen Mode: Presentations automatically enter distraction-free Zen Mode
Presenter View: Open speaker notes and next slide preview on a secondary panel
Workspace Trust: Actions that execute code require Workspace Trust for security

Getting Started

Create a Presentation

Create a file with the .deck.md extension:

---
title: My First Presentation
author: Your Name
---

# Welcome to Executable Talk

This is your first slide!

---

## Opening a File

Click the action link to see it in action:

[Open Main File](action:file.open?path=src/main.ts)

---

## Highlighting Code

Draw attention to specific lines:

[Highlight the function](action:editor.highlight?path=src/main.ts&lines=5-10)

---
notes: Remember to explain the architecture diagram!
---

## Running Commands

Execute terminal commands during your demo:

[Install Dependencies](action:terminal.run?command=npm%20install)

---

## Debugging

Start a debug session:

[Launch Debugger](action:debug.start?config=Launch%20Program)

Start a Presentation

Open a .deck.md file in VS Code
Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
Run Executable Talk: Start Presentation

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
`→` or `Space`	Next slide
`←` or `Backspace`	Previous slide
`Home`	First slide
`End`	Last slide
`Cmd+Z` / `Ctrl+Z`	Undo IDE changes
`Cmd+Shift+Z` / `Ctrl+Y`	Redo IDE changes
`Escape`	Exit presentation

Commands

Command	Description
`Executable Talk: Start Presentation`	Open the current `.deck.md` file as a presentation
`Executable Talk: Stop Presentation`	Close the presentation and restore IDE state
`Executable Talk: Reset Presentation`	Reset to the first slide and clear all changes
`Executable Talk: Next Slide`	Navigate to the next slide
`Executable Talk: Previous Slide`	Navigate to the previous slide
`Executable Talk: Open Presenter View`	Show speaker notes and next slide preview

Action Reference

`file.open`

Opens a file in the editor.

[Open File](action:file.open?file=path/to/file.ts)

Parameter	Description	Required
`file`	Relative path to the file	Yes

`editor.highlight`

Highlights specific lines in a file.

[Highlight Code](action:editor.highlight?file=path/to/file.ts&lines=5-10)

Parameter	Description	Required
`file`	Relative path to the file	Yes
`lines`	Line range (e.g., `5-10` or `5`)	Yes

`terminal.run`

Runs a command in the integrated terminal. Requires Workspace Trust.

[Run Command](action:terminal.run?command=npm%20test)

Parameter	Description	Required
`command`	URL-encoded command to execute	Yes

`debug.start`

Starts a debug session. Requires Workspace Trust.

[Start Debugging](action:debug.start?config=Launch%20Program)

Parameter	Description	Required
`config`	Name of the launch configuration	Yes

`sequence`

Executes multiple actions in order.

[Demo Flow](action:sequence?actions=file.open%3Ffile%3Dsrc/main.ts,editor.highlight%3Ffile%3Dsrc/main.ts%26lines%3D1-5)

Parameter	Description	Required
`actions`	Comma-separated list of URL-encoded actions	Yes

Speaker Notes

Add speaker notes to any slide using the notes field in YAML frontmatter:

---
notes: |
  Key points to cover:
  - Explain the architecture
  - Show the demo
  - Answer questions
---

# Slide Title

Slide content goes here...

View speaker notes by running Executable Talk: Open Presenter View.

Workspace Trust

For security, actions that execute code (terminal.run and debug.start) require Workspace Trust. When opening a presentation with executable actions in an untrusted workspace:

You’ll be prompted to confirm before proceeding
Actions requiring trust will show as blocked
You can still use file.open and editor.highlight actions

Requirements

VS Code 1.85.0 or higher
Workspace Trust enabled for terminal.run and debug.start actions

Extension Settings

This extension does not contribute any settings.

Known Issues

Multi-monitor presenter view requires manual command execution (no automatic detection)
Zen Mode state detection is approximate

Release Notes

See CHANGELOG.md for version history.

License

MIT

Made with ❤️ for live coding presentations