[Solved] Compare selected folders command failed when using shortcut

[DnnMitko]

I wrote in my keybindings.json:
{ "key": "shift+alt+d", "command": "foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders", "when": "explorerViewletVisible && filesExplorerFocus && !inputFocus" }

I selected 2 folders in my file explorer and when I clicked the keybind, I got a notification:

Running the contributed command: 'foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders' failed.

In the extension host logs, I got this error:
[exthost] [error] TypeError: undefined is not iterable (cannot read property Symbol(Symbol.iterator)) at CompareFoldersProvider.compareSelectedFolders (/home/default/.vscode/extensions/moshfeu.compare-folders-0.20.1/out/providers/foldersCompareProvider.js:58:39) at b._executeContributedCommand (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:86:88517) at b.$executeContributedCommand (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:86:88849) at p._doInvokeHandler (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:89:10276) at p._invokeHandler (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:89:9968) at p._receiveRequest (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:89:8638) at p._receiveOneMessage (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:89:7440) at /usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:89:5568 at v.fire (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:55:1836) at d.fire (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:63:15515) at /usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:104:29104 at v.fire (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:55:1836) at d.fire (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:63:15515) at t._receiveMessage (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:63:20765) at /usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:63:17659 at v.fire (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:55:1836) at u.acceptChunk (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:63:12880) at /usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:63:12228 at Socket.m (/usr/share/code/resources/app/out/vs/workbench/services/extensions/node/extensionHostProcess.js:104:12375) at Socket.emit (events.js:315:20) at addChunk (_stream_readable.js:295:12) at readableAddChunk (_stream_readable.js:271:9) at Socket.Readable.push (_stream_readable.js:212:10) at Pipe.onStreamRead (internal/stream_base_commons.js:186:23) foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders

I'm running on Debian. Let me know if you'd need anything more.
Hope this can get fixed easily, as it's way more convenient for me to use the command through a keybind.

[moshfeu]

Thanks.
I'll investigate this soon.

[moshfeu]

Unfortunately, it's not possible to create a shortcut for this command (See the issue link above).
For a better user experience I'm gonna show an error message when the user triggers this command using keybindings.

Thanks for the report and sorry for that limitation. I wish I could fix this.

[moshfeu]

Here is how it looks

Can you verify please?

compare-folders-0.20.2.vsix.zip

[DnnMitko]

That is too bad, guess it can't be helped.
But there might be another way. I've been trying to get it to work via macros.
Using the Macro Commander extension, I wrote:

"compareFolders": [
            {
                "javascript": [
                    "await vscode.commands.executeCommand('copyFilePath')",
                    "const folders = await vscode.env.clipboard.readText()",
                    "const first = await vscode.Uri.file(folders.split(''\\n'')[0])",
                    "const second = await vscode.Uri.file(folders.split('\\n')[1])",
                    "if(first && second) { await vscode.commands.executeCommand('foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders', first, [first, second]) }"
                ]
            }
        ]

I tried manually getting and parsing the URIs for the command but maybe I'm missing something. Any ideas?

[moshfeu]

Interesting approach! I don't use macros actually.

await vscode.commands.executeCommand('copyFilePath')

is copying the opened editor path, isn't?
You need the path of the 2 folders.
I can't find a command for copying the selected folders in the explorer panel.

I wonder however what is the use case? Are you selecting 2 folders with the mouse and want to compare with the keyboard?
Do you usually compare the same pair of folders or every time you compare 2 different ones?

[DnnMitko]

The extension lets me run javascript, including the vscode API, as part of the macros.
I'm selecting two in the explorer, then running it. The copyFilePath command will copy both selections' paths. Then simply split by newline to get each separately.
After that, I try making the URI myself and give it to the command as args though I might be messing up in how i pass them.

[DnnMitko]

This is what I have so far, just trying to figure out how to get the last part to work.
The executeCommand with foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders

"javascript": [
                    "await vscode.commands.executeCommand('copyFilePath')",
                    "const folders = await vscode.env.clipboard.readText()",
                    "const first = folders.split(''\\n'')[0]",
                    "const second = folders.split('\\n')[1]",
                    "const firstUri = await vscode.Uri.file(first)",
                    "const secondUri = await vscode.Uri.file(second)",
                    "if(first && second) { await vscode.commands.executeCommand('foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders', firstUri, [firstUri, secondUri]) }"
                ]

[DnnMitko]

I got it to work!!
Instead of
executeCommand('foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders', firstUri, [firstUri, secondUri]) }
I have to give it:
executeCommand('foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders', secondUri, [firstUri, secondUri]) }

To summarize for those looking for a temporary solution:
Use the Macro Commander extension: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=jeff-hykin.macro-commander
Put in your settings.json:

"macros": {
    "compareFolders": [
        {
            "javascript": [
                "await vscode.commands.executeCommand('copyFilePath')",
                "const folders = await vscode.env.clipboard.readText()",
                "const first = folders.split('\\n')[0]",
                "const second = folders.split('\\n')[1]",
                "const firstUri = await vscode.Uri.file(first)",
                "const secondUri = await vscode.Uri.file(second)",
                "await vscode.commands.executeCommand('foldersCompare.compareSelectedFolders', secondUri, [firstUri, secondUri])"
            ]
        }
    ]

Then in your keybindings.json:

{
  "key": KEY_BIND,
  "command": "macros.compareFolders",
  "when": "filesExplorerFocus && explorerResourceIsFolder && listDoubleSelection"
}

Then simply select two folders in the file explorer and use the shortcut.

[moshfeu]

Very nice!
Thanks for the trick. I pinned it for future asker.
Good job 👍