Add support for BrowserBack and BrowserForward

[truhlikfredy]

• VSCode Version: 1.13.0
• OS Version: amd64 Debian 8

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Have ThinkPad laptop with the next/previous close to the cursor keys
2. Have custom xmodmapings to map them to F14 and F15 keys

keycode 166=F14
keycode 167=F15

3. Try to assign these keys to some functions (I get "unknown" instead of naming the shortcut and I can't assign it to the action)

[truhlikfredy]

I think the "unknown" message is the KeyCode.Unknown defined in vs/base/common/keyCodes. But I'm not sure what logic is setting it up, could it be some mismatch with scan codes?

[alexdima]

@truhlikfredy Could you please try our Keybinding troubleshooting guide -- https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/wiki/Keybindings#troubleshoot-linux-keybindings

[truhlikfredy]

Solved it with workaround in the settings.

"keyboard.dispatch": "keyCode"

But if it's reading original scanCodes, then it should work as well, originally the key are multimedia back / forward (code 166 and 167). Often browsers react to it going to previous website, and actually that was the reason why i remapped it, because I didn't like the original behavior applications had with these keys.

[alexdima]

Let's continue tracking in #23991 in this case.

[truhlikfredy]

#23991 case is for remaps, but in my case it's two different things (obscure keys and remapping), if it would accept the original keycode even ignoring the remaping would be grand as well. If I would remove the remappings, still the visual studio doesn't recognize back/forward keys.

[alexdima]

I think we recognize F keys up to F19.

[truhlikfredy]

Yes, but that is the mapped value, original is this two keys

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7277/6863731296_af6a4baf78_b.jpg

And that is not recognised

[alexdima]

I can look into adding support in VSCode for them. Can you please press them at https://jsfiddle.net/v1gz5c5m/1/ in Chromium and let me know what values each one has, without any remap magic (xmodmapings).

[truhlikfredy]

This are the original keys

keydown --- code: BrowserForward, keyCode: 167, key: BrowserForward
keydown --- code: BrowserBack, keyCode: 166, key: BrowserBack

[truhlikfredy]

Can you remove the duplicate tag? Even if this problem is bit overlapping with other issues, but still this one is unique.

[antcodd]

How exactly did you manage to work around this issue? I don't see any way in keybindings.json to specify a keyCode or code and the keybindings editor shows unknown. Perhaps it works for you specially because you are using F14 and F15 and not the native back/forward keys?

The current keybinding design in vscode seems limiting. Why doesn't it just support the names from "code" when keyboard.dispatch=code mode?

Changing keyboard.dispatch to keyCode didn't seem to make a difference for me.

Somewhat related issue: #8641, the same issue for the mouse button equivalent (which I don't believe send keycodes on Linux).

[truhlikfredy]

Yes that what I said it works with me because I used xmodmap to map them to F14 and F15 and then added this to vscode settings:

"keyboard.dispatch": "keyCode"

Just because I have workaround it doesn't mean it's not an issue so that's why I asked to remove the "duplicate tag" etc...

I looked at the source code and the keyboard management seems too complicated without much gain. Plus now it doesn't respect the remaps which is probably the first application I have seen and has issues with this.

To debug what you get from your linux I like to use

xev

It shows exactly what events you are emitting (keyboard, mouse etc...)

[alexdima]

Keyboard management is complicated because it needs to work correctly in:

• VSCode on Windows (based on Chromium + native-keymap to present correct labels to the UI) -- uses keyCode to act the same as all other Windows native applications
• VSCode on Linux (based on Chromium + native-keymap to bind our default US based keybindings to something different depending on the keyboard layout and to present correct labels in the UI) -- uses code by default
• VSCode on OSX (based on Chromium + native-keymap to bind our default US based keybindings to something different depending on the keyboard layout and to present correct labels in the UI) -- uses code by default
• Monaco Editor on Chrome on Windows/OSX/Linux -- uses keyCode
• Monaco Editor on Firefox on Windows/OSX/Linux -- uses keyCode
• Monaco Editor on IE11 and Edge on Windows -- uses keyCode
• Monaco Editor on Safari on OSX -- uses keyCode

[truhlikfredy]

Wow, that is impressive, didn't know the Monaco Editor is based on this as well, then not really surprised of the over-complications. It needs to be universal and consider many different combinations.

[jomel]

Just to say I also have this exact issue.
My keyboard has standalone keys for browser Back and browser forward, that I wanted to use for code folding, but they come up as "unknown" in vscode.
I used the workaround described by @truhlikfredy to assign my keys for F13 & F14.
For anybody else facing the same (on Ubuntu), here is the workaround:

• In vscode open key bindings (ctrl P & "leyboard shortcuts"),
• click the "record keys" button the right of the input box
• press your key. it will sau "unknown" in the box, but if you hover over that word ift will say something like "code: BrowserBack", keyCode:166, key: "
• in terminal run: xmodmap -pke > ~/xmodmap_original : this backup up your current keymap.
• in terminal run: echo "keycode 166 = F13 F13 F13" => ~/.Xmodmap : this maps your new key binding
• (for good measure) run xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap
• In vscode open settings (ctrl P & "settings", choose "open settings JSON") & add "keyboard.dispatch": "keyCode"
• youshould now be able to go back to the vscode key bindings editor & use your new key

[AntonKrug]

It stopped working on me recently as it looks like vscode update reset some settings. I forgot I was making this issue and by accident googled my own solution, in this case the "keyboard.dispatch" got reset to default value so I had to set it back to the "keyCode" value.

I have modified other editors, even rebuild chromium from scratch to support the F13/F14 as previous and next tabs, physically these buttons are located close to the cursor arrows and it's very pleasant to have editors/browsers setup so the whole UI is consistent and productive.

[rzhao271]

I'm not sure how to verify this issue. I tried connecting my mouse, which has back and forward buttons, but pressing those buttons, even while trying to set the shortcut, results in the tab switching.

[alexdima]

To verify, you would need a keyboard with media keys which has a browser back key e.g.

[joaomoreno]

Verified by remapping a key to browserback: https://www.lifewire.com/remap-keyboard-in-windows-10-5181178