WorkspaceFolders can't be changed while testing

[manuth]

Info

• VSCode Version: 1.37.0
• OS Version: Windows 10 Build 1903

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Create an extension using vscode-generator-code
2. In a test-file open up a workspace-folder using vscode.workspace.updateWorkspaceFolders

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes

Feel free to clone my repo https://github.com/manuth/MarkdownConverter/ and checkout the testrunner-issue to reproduce the error.

Expected Behavior

The workspace-folders should be changed.

Actual Behavior

An error-message occurs in the extension developement host:

Extension 'Markdown Converter' failed to update workspace folders: {1}

[bpasero]

@manuth please try to distill an isolated minimal test case to reproduce via the yo generator for me to run

[manuth]

Alright - there you go: https://github.com/manuth/TestExtension
Thanks for the rapid answer! 😄

[manuth]

I also verified that when updating workspace-folders from a command via vscode.commands.executeCommand causes said issue, too.

• Manually changing the opened folder (which is what I was trying to reach using updateWorkspaceFolder in the first place) via File => Open Folder is working just fine
• Manually adding a folder to the workspace does not work (nothing happens)
• Manually adding a folder to the workspace after opening a folder (File => Open Folder) works but stops the debugger

In my test-scenario I try to verify whether my settings are handled correctly in File/Folder/Workspace-mode so opening a folder, closing a folder and opening a workspace are important key-functions to me.

[bpasero]

@manuth adding a folder to an otherwise empty workspace or changing the first folder in that workspace currently requires us to restart the extension host. So it is currently not possible to test this, is that what you see?

[manuth]

I'm not sure about that.
As manually opening a folder in the extension development host ( File => Open Folder) is working without breaking the debugger I don't guess that the fact that the extension host needs to be restarted should cause any trouble.

Sadly I do not know how to debug the extension host itself.

To me it looks like this piece of code is getting triggered:

vscode/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostWorkspace.ts

Lines 284 to 292 in 051b669

	this._proxy.$updateWorkspaceFolders(extName, index, deleteCount, validatedDistinctWorkspaceFoldersToAdd).then(undefined, error => {
	// in case of an error, make sure to clear out the unconfirmed workspace
	// because we cannot expect the acknowledgement from the main side for this
	this._unconfirmedWorkspace = undefined;
	// show error to user
	this._messageService.$showMessage(Severity.Error, localize('updateerror', "Extension '{0}' failed to update workspace folders: {1}", extName, error), { extension }, []);
	});

[bpasero]

@aeschli looks like this is coming from you via this change:

eee10d2

But yeah, we currently do not support to test a workspace folder change because we require the extension host to restart in that case.

[manuth]

@bpasero should I open up a feature request or is this noted already?

[bpasero]

#69335

[manuth]

@bpasero do I understand correctly that after this change you still won't be able to change the currently opened folder in vscode but only to manipulate the currently opened vscode-workspace?