Handoff VSCode v0.12–0.14 — Seeing Your V-Model, Not Just Querying It
The V-model traceability that handoff-mcp introduced is now visual. A map, a matrix, and an interactive mindmap let you see requirement-to-test coverage at a glance inside VSCode.
Handoff VSCode extension v0.12 through v0.14 is out. These three releases build the visual layer for V-model requirement traceability.
The Data Existed, the View Didn't
handoff-mcp v0.36–0.42 brought V-model traceability: requirements, specs, and test items linked in a Markdown-native graph, queryable through MCP tools. You could ask "what's uncovered?" or "what broke when I changed this?" and get a JSON answer.
That works for a handful of items. Once a project has dozens or hundreds of requirements — each with its own links, coverage state, and suspect flags — JSON is not how you want to understand the picture. These three versions build the views that make it visual.
A New Shell (v0.12)
v0.12 rewrites the entire WebView around five sections:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Home | Project KPIs and activity feed |
| Work | Tasks, Gantt, metrics |
| Specs | V-model map, requirements table, documents |
| Plan | Plan documents and requirement coverage |
| Sessions | AI session history and state |
An Inspector panel on the right shows details for whatever item is selected, and a bottom panel provides contextual information.
Performance was reworked too: incremental reloads and Web Worker–based async processing keep the UI responsive even on large projects.
Map and Matrix (v0.12)
The V-model map draws requirements, specs, and test items as nodes connected by edges. Node colour shows verification state; suspect items are highlighted. A coverage trend chart tracks progress over time.
The trace matrix lays requirements on the left axis and test items across the top, with cell colours showing pass / fail / not run. You can immediately spot which requirements lack test coverage.
The old 2D/3D graph views are removed — these two replace them.
Requirements Explorer (v0.12–v0.13)
A sidebar tree groups requirements by category, priority, or development stage. v0.13 added inline actions: change stage, create a task, jump to the document, open code/test references, and bulk-assign stable IDs — all without leaving the tree.
The WebView requirements table shows a KPI header (total / implemented / tested / verified / P0 not started) with a P0 alert banner. Expand any row to see code references, test references, and linked tasks.
Campaign and Report Management (v0.13)
Verification campaigns — handoff-mcp's way of grouping a set of checks into a managed test run — can now be operated from VSCode. Record check results, attach evidence (screenshots, file paths), and track progress in a dedicated UI.
The Report Explorer lists generated reports and provides the approval workflow (draft → submitted → approved). Templates are editable, and reports export to HTML.
Plan Integration (v0.13)
The new Plan section gives plan documents their own explorer. Each plan shows a requirement coverage bar, and a suspect badge appears in the status bar when upstream changes affect planned items. The Gantt chart gained plan filtering, a baseline comparison bar, and suspect highlights.
Requirement Mindmap (v0.14)
The headline feature of v0.14. It renders the requirement tree structure (parent / kind / decision / select, introduced in handoff-mcp v0.41) as an interactive 2D mindmap.
- Two layouts — standard tree and radial, computed with d3-hierarchy
- Node shapes encode type — circle for leaf, rectangle for group, diamond for decision, hexagon for select. Verification state is shown as a coloured ring around each node
- Four LOD levels — zoom out to see the tree as dots; zoom in to reveal titles, then details, then every attribute
- SVG + Canvas auto-switch — small trees render in SVG for crisp text; large trees switch to Canvas for smooth panning
- Keyboard navigation, context menu, filters, legend, and high-contrast theme support
Even with hundreds of requirements, you can zoom out for the full picture and drill into individual branches.
Changelog
v0.12.0 (2026-10-07)
- 5-section shell — Home / Work / Specs / Plan / Sessions
- V-model map — node-and-edge view of requirements → specs → tests
- Trace matrix — requirements × test items grid
- Inspector and bottom panel — detail views
- Coverage trend chart — verification coverage over time
- Suspect / stale highlighting — flagged items from upstream changes
- Diagnostics UI — problem-item display
- Requirements view — KPI header, alert banner, sortable table
- Requirements Explorer — sidebar tree with grouping and filters
- Performance — incremental reload, Web Worker async processing
v0.13.0 (2026-10-15)
- Requirements Explorer enhancements — inline stage change, task creation, document jump
- Plan section — plan explorer, coverage bar, suspect badge
- Project Status Dashboard — project-wide overview
- Verification Campaign UI — check recording, evidence attachment
- Report Explorer — report listing and approval workflow
- Template editing + HTML export
- Gantt enhancements — plan filter, baseline comparison, suspect highlights
v0.14.0 (2026-10-18)
- Requirement Mindmap — tree and radial layouts, 4-level LOD, SVG + Canvas auto-switch
- Node glyphs — leaf / group / decision / select shapes
- Status rings — per-node verification state
- Interactions — filter, legend, context menu, keyboard nav, high-contrast theme
Install / Update
Search for "Handoff" in the VS Code extension marketplace, or install directly: