Provide API to open a new folder

[Tyriar]

This is essential to creating a project manager extension, it would be best if there was the option to open in a new instance or an existing instance of code.

[jrieken]

We should make the underlying command API/documented

[bpasero]

@jrieken I am worried though that our commands leak into the API. how can I ensure that my internal command "Open Folder" does not break the assumed API contract of being able to pass in the folder to open? I think if we allow arguments to be passed to a command, the command itself must move into a location where it is very clear that any change to the constructor is a breaking API change.

[jrieken]

@bpasero Yes, the commands will become API. As they are already today by the keybindings-config. IMO we should have a list of commands that we consider stable including identifier, args, and return-type if applicable.

[bpasero]

@jrieken I would still feel more comfortable having explicit API in vscode.d.ts to open a folder, this could be on the window namespace.

[jrieken]

Disagree because the API should stay compact. Also more commands will enable more flexible scenarios like macros etc. I think a rule of thumb could be make a function API if it returns a meaningful and hard to compute result

[JoshStrobl]

An API for opening a folder is the last cog in a wheel (and the most crucial) for an extension I'm writing. Would love a couple APIs landed to open a folder with:

1. A new window, maybe defined as (vscode.window.openNewWindow(uri : vscode.Uri)
2. Current workspace, maybe defined as (vscode.workspace.openFolder(uri : vscode.Uri)

Using nodejs's child_process isn't really viable, because:

1. Even when "detached", it is still a child process.
2. Starts the instance (I'm provided a PID) however doesn't actually render.

[jrieken]

Optimistically adding for April - stretch tho.

[bpasero]

Pushed for April, the syntax via command is:

let uri = vscode.Uri.parse('file:///Users/bpasero/Development/Microsoft/monaco');
vscode.commands.executeCommand('vscode.openFolder', uri);

Note that opening a folder will replace the current running instance and this means the currently executing extension host will go down and restart.

[JoshStrobl]

@bpasero While I do welcome this API addition and really appreciate its inclusion, I'm not seeing any changes here on providing an API for opening a new window with a vscode.Uri provided (see my comment above).

Any chance that could land as well?

P.S. Sorry for resurfacing a "closed" issue, I just don't feel all the cases were addressed 😄

[bpasero]

+1, will add a flag.

[JoshStrobl]

@bpasero Hey, was this ever landed in Insider Preview / 1.0.0 (p.s. congrats on the release everyone) alongside the flag you mentioned you'd add?

[bpasero]

@JoshStrobl no, this is post 1.0