There are three types of applications supported by the extension: repository, workspace, and freestanding. The following table describes main differences between them from the extension's perspective.
| Repository application | Workspace application | Freestanding application | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Inside the nRF Connect SDK source code (which is also a west workspace and a VS Code workspace). | Inside a west workspace (which is also a VS Code workspace), but outside of the nRF Connect SDK source code. | Outside of a west workspace and the nRF Connect SDK source code, but in a VS Code workspace. |
| Usage of west manifest | Uses the nRF Connect SDK's west manifest file to specify the SDK version. | Uses the west manifest to specify the SDK version. The file is created when you set up a west workspace. | Does not use the west manifest. |
| SDK version | Specified by the west manifest file of your nRF Connect SDK source code installation. Cannot be changed for build configurations. The SDK version is not stored in Zephyr's CMake registry and is not listed in the Uninstall SDK menu. This prevents breaking the application when the corresponding SDK version would be uninstalled. |
Specified by the west manifest file of the application workspace and set for each build configuration. The SDK version is not stored in Zephyr's CMake registry and is not listed in the Uninstall SDK menu. This prevents breaking the application when the corresponding SDK version would be uninstalled. |
Specified and set by the build configuration. The SDK version is stored in Zephyr's CMake registry and is listed in the Uninstall SDK menu. Uninstalling the SDK version breaks the build configuration. |
| Multiple applications in one workspace | Possible, as long as all repository applications are in the nRF Connect SDK source code (that is, the same west workspace and VS Code workspace). | Not possible. West will clone a separate instance of nRF Connect SDK to the workspace application's VS Code workspace and use it for the given application. | Possible. All freestanding applications in the same VS Code workspace can use the same nRF Connect SDK version. |
For more information about these application types, see the Create an application page in the nRF Connect SDK documentation.
All applications that you create, discover, or add are listed in the Applications View (and the nrf-connect.applications setting).
The extension will never remove the application files from your machine without your explicit action.