Vscode-java: regression: java.format.settings.url no longer loads project .xml file

[rothfels]

Some of our teammates just upgraded to the latest version of this extension and noticed that the formatter's behavior has changed.

Before upgrading extension:

• open a file, run Format document -- no diff

After upgrading extension:

• open a file, run Format document -- large diff

Our formatter configuration is and has been set from an .xml config file. Our .vscode/settings.json looks like this:

  "java.format.settings.url": "path/to/code-style.xml",

I opened the project in Eclipse and imported the same code-style.xml file, and verified that the Eclipse formatter running with that config produces no diff.

I've concluded the formatter on the most recent version of this extension has regressed.

Environment

• Operating System: MacOS 11.2.1
• JDK version: openjdk version "15.0.1" 2020-10-20
• Visual Studio Code version: 1.54.1
• Java extension version: v0.76.0

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create custom code style .xml file
2. Configure via .vscode/settings.json
3. Run Format document

Current Result

Formatter generating unwanted diffs on newest extension version.

Expected Result

No formatting diffs on files that were formatted with prior extension version.

[rothfels]

Edit: I discovered it works with a (relative) file URL (absolute doesn't work because ${workspaceFolder} is not interpolated).

  "java.format.settings.url": "file:path/to/code-style.xml",

Fwiw, the documentation for this setting says it can be a path. Maybe you want to fix? https://github.com/redhat-developer/vscode-java/wiki/Formatter-settings

[lpedrosa]

What is the workaround that we can use in the meantime?

For example, assuming you have the formatter file in the ${workspaceFolder} like ${workspaceFolder}/eclipse-formatter.xml, what should the url be?

Currently I have it set as eclipse-formatter.xml and it doesn't seem to pick it up.

[lpedrosa]

I guess I should've read @rothfels answer more carefully 😅, since it is mentioned that the URI could be relative to the ${workspaceFolder}.

A workaround for the scenario I've described above is to set the java.format.settings.url property like:

# assuming your formatter xml file in on ${workspaceFolder}
# and is called 'eclipse-formatter.xml'
"java.format.settings.url": "file:./eclipse-formatter.xml"

[johnchesser]

For me relative with ~ didn't work, nor did absolute, but adding file: did work, thank you @rothfels .

[kristian]

Question: To mitigate this regression, we switched to the "file:" protocol as a workaround. After this regression is fixed, will the "file:" workaround break again or also continue to work, just to inform our developers. Thanks!

[snjeza]

@kristian It will work.