Deploy to Connect Cloud from Positron and VS Code
It’s now easier than ever to put your data applications and documents into the hands of others. With the latest update of the Posit Publisher extension, you can now use push-button publishing to deploy Python and R content directly to Connect Cloud from within Positron or VS Code.
This expands on the existing GitHub workflow, opening up a flexible deployment path right from your IDE. It is a seamless experience that allows you to manage everything from a single place, including the ability to define secrets such as API keys to help power the deployment.
The Posit Publisher extension is pre-installed in Positron, so you can start right away. If you’re using VS Code, a quick trip to the Visual Studio Marketplace is all it takes.
Configuring your deployment
Once installed, you can access the extension from the Publisher icon on the Activity Bar or from the top of a deployable project file such as app.py, app.R, or index.qmd.
A selection menu will walk you through the required steps, inviting you to create or log in to an existing Connect Cloud account along the way. This handshake automatically provisions a deployment credential in your IDE that will help manage future deployments. For organization users on the Advanced Plan, credentials are integrated with your SSO provider by default.
The menu will guide you through the deployment process, prompting you to confirm which project files to include and what secrets, if any, you’d like to securely use and transfer to Connect Cloud. An automatically generated configuration file also gives you power to define additional deployment settings.
Once your project is deployed, you’ll see a success notification in your IDE and an option to view your new content directly on Connect Cloud. If something goes wrong, an error message will pop up, and you can access the publishing log to diagnose the issue.
The Publisher extension makes it simple to update and maintain an existing deployment. After making changes to your code, you can select the previous deployment from the menu, confirm your revised project files, and deploy again.
This streamlined workflow makes it simple to iterate and update, so that you can focus on building great data content.
Read more on the entire process in the documentation.
What’s next
Connect Cloud aims to meet data professionals where they work. Adding deployment support for Positron and VS Code through the Posit Publisher extension is just a first step. Our attention now turns to other paths including common CLI tools, packages, and push-button publishing for the RStudio IDE. Stay tuned!
Until then, we encourage you to create a free Connect Cloud account and deploy your data work with your choice of Positron, VS Code, or directly from code on GitHub.
