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What You’ll Learn

Known limitations of Verdent for VS Code, including file format restrictions, tool constraints, and platform-specific considerations.

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Known Limitations

  • File Formats
  • Tool Constraints
  • Context Window

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Binary Files Not Supported

Verdent’s file tools only work with text-based formats. The following cannot be edited:
Format TypeExamples
ImagesPNG, JPG, GIF, SVG (as binary)
VideosMP4, AVI, MOV
Compiled CodeEXE, DLL, SO
ArchivesZIP, TAR, GZ
Office DocsDOCX, XLSX, PPTX
PDFsPDF files
Workaround: Binary files can be referenced in code or discussed conceptually, but modifications require external tools.

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What Verdent Cannot Do

  • System Administration
  • Autonomous Execution
  • Real-Time Monitoring
  • Network Operations

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No Direct System Administration

Cannot:
  • Modify VS Code settings programmatically
  • Install VS Code extensions automatically
  • Change system-level configurations
  • Restart VS Code or system services
Scope: Verdent operates within the VS Code workspace, not at the system administration level.

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Platform-Specific Restrictions

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Operating System Differences

bash Tool Behavior:
PlatformShellNotes
macOS/Linuxbash/zshFull bash functionality
WindowsPowerShellSome bash commands unavailable, use PowerShell equivalents
WSLbashLinux commands work in WSL environment
Path Handling:
  • Windows uses backslashes (\), Unix uses forward slashes (/)
  • File paths may need adjustment for cross-platform projects

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VS Code Version Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
  • VS Code version compatibility (check extension marketplace for current minimum)
  • Sufficient disk space for context caching
Specific version requirements are maintained in the VS Code marketplace listing. Check extension details for current compatibility.

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Workspace Constraints

Single Workspace Focus:
  • Verdent operates within one VS Code workspace at a time
  • Cannot simultaneously modify files across multiple open VS Code windows
  • Multi-root workspaces supported but context limited to current active workspace

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Workarounds for Common Limitations

  • Binary Files
  • Large Files
  • Context Window
  • Platform Differences

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Binary File Modification

Limitation: Cannot edit images, PDFs, or compiled binariesWorkarounds:
  • Reference external tools in bash commands: bash("convert input.png -resize 50% output.png")
  • Generate scripts that external tools can execute
  • Document manual steps for binary file operations
Example:
# Image conversion
bash("convert input.png -resize 50% output.png")

# PDF to text
bash("pdftotext document.pdf output.txt")

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Future Improvements

Limitations are continuously being addressed. Check Verdent release notes for updates on expanded capabilities, increased limits, and new integrations.

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See Also

Tool Reference

Complete tool capabilities

Best Practices

Optimize Verdent usage