Vscode-jupyter: Environment Selection bar disappeared in Interactive Window

[elvissey1984]

Bug: Notebook Editor, Interactive Window, Editor cells

Steps to cause the bug to occur

1. Open VS Code
2. Ctrl+Shift+P, Python Interactive Window

Actual behavior

The bar that shows current kernel/environment flashes as interactive window launches, and then completely disappears.

Expected behavior

In the Interactive Window, on top of control buttons, there used to be a bar that shows current kernel/environment, which you can click on and switch if needed.

Your Jupyter and/or Python environment

_Please provide as much info as you readily know_

• Jupyter server running: Local
• Extension version: 2020.9.111407
• VS Code version: 1.49.2
• Setting python.jediEnabled: true | false
• Setting python.languageServer: Jedi | Microsoft | None
• Python and/or Anaconda version: 3.6.10 64-bit
• OS: Windows 10 1909
• Virtual environment: virtualenv

Python Output

Microsoft Data Science for VS Code Engineering Team: @rchiodo, @IanMatthewHuff, @DavidKutu, @DonJayamanne, @greazer, @joyceerhl

[joyceerhl]

Hi @elvissey1984, thanks for reporting this. We received feedback that it was confusing to have both a kernel selector in the top right of the interactive window, as well as an interpreter selector in the bottom left of the VSCode window. As a result, we have deprecated the kernel selector in the top right of the IW for local Jupyter connections only (you will still see the bar for remote connections).

You can change your local Jupyter kernel by running Ctrl+Shift+P to bring up the command palette, and typing 'Python: Select Python Interpreter'. This should allow you to select a different active Python interpreter, and the next IW that you create will use your newly-selected Python environment (you will have to close and reopen your existing window if any for the new selection to take effect).

Please let us know if this works for you--this change was meant to simplify things for our users and remove confusion, and we want to hear your feedback!

[elvissey1984]

Thanks for the update! Let’s say if I’m in the middle of some work, in the old times if I use the old selector to switch an environment then the kernel restarts and switches to the selected one. Now if I do that at the status bar (or Ctrl+shift+p) it doesn’t switch - it seems I would have to do it before I launch the interactive window, and if I want to switch I would have to close the interactive window first, select a new kernel, and start again the interactive window.

Is that the desired behavior?

---

From: Joyce Er [e-mail]
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 2:02:01 AM
To: microsoft/vscode-python [e-mail]
Cc: elvissey1984 [e-mail]; Mention [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [microsoft/vscode-python] Environment Selection bar disappeared in Interactive Window (#14126)

Hi @elvissey1984https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Felvissey1984&data=02%7C01%7C%7C985253325b3546ea9c6508d8640ae4ce%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637369345229489474&sdata=dnBP4DBjw8w1yies%2Bg1ml7%2FdITrJhDjUDPaSn3UraYs%3D&reserved=0, thanks for reporting this. We received feedback that it was confusing to have both a kernel selector in the top right of the interactive window, as well as an interpreter selector in the bottom left of the VSCode window. As a result, we have deprecated the kernel selector in the top right of the IW for local Jupyter connections only (you will still see the bar for remote connections). You can change your local Jupyter kernel by running Ctrl+Shift+P to bring up the command palette, and typing 'Python: Select Python Interpreter'. This should allow you to set your active Python interpreter.

Please let us know if this works for you--this change was meant to simplify things for our users and remove confusion, and we want to hear your feedback!

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[joyceerhl]

That is the expected behavior as a result of this change. Do you have a preference for the previous experience versus the new one?

[elvissey1984]

Thanks for the reply! I’m indifferent to where I select the kernel (well perhaps slightly in favor of the old way because of habit but that will wear out) - but I would really love to be able to switch to a new kernel quickly with a click of mouse, as it is usually an unavoidable part of my workflow. The current approach feels a bit like a step backward, so much that I thought that is a bug.

---

From: Joyce Er [e-mail]
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 2:47:38 AM
To: microsoft/vscode-python [e-mail]
Cc: elvissey1984 [e-mail]; Mention [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [microsoft/vscode-python] Environment Selection bar disappeared in Interactive Window (#14126)

That is the expected behavior as a result of this change. Do you have a preference for the previous experience versus the new one?

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You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHubhttps://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmicrosoft%2Fvscode-python%2Fissues%2F14126%23issuecomment-700358648&data=02%7C01%7C%7C4fa9c6701e634efbcb9f08d86411440d%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637369372597652809&sdata=l8icB5PKDWBEJwBzR6k9dXbgnUldTIvhh%2B3nZo6BC4E%3D&reserved=0, or unsubscribehttps://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fnotifications%2Funsubscribe-auth%2FAJDT6T773B5CJR55WVQU6TTSIEVCVANCNFSM4R4MINNA&data=02%7C01%7C%7C4fa9c6701e634efbcb9f08d86411440d%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637369372597662806&sdata=BLM8OISzxZyoMJ487wm%2FA9J1M4%2B1HNcLHWNa628V7%2FU%3D&reserved=0.

[joyceerhl]

Thanks for your feedback, that is very helpful to know. Our team will discuss this in greater detail at our weekly triage meeting.

[volopasse]

Would like to add another use case, that appears to have been dropped with this change.

I have several kernels using one interpreter. These are in ~/.local/share/jupyter/kernels, and some are manually edited (e.g. to include environmental variables). Previously I was able to select the specific kernel from there, but with this new approach I no longer have that flexibility.

I would also second @elvissey1984 's point about quickly selecting the kernel, and also knowing which one you're using at the moment. Once again, I'm not sure how many people have different kernels under the same interpreter, but this functionality has been lost

[greazer]

Current thoughts:

1. Add a setting to bring back old behavior -- not discoverable.
2. Add a command to change kernel for active interactive window -- This is our current favorite idea.
3. Just revert back to the old behavior -- The reason we made this change was to alleviate user confusion overall, since we had that feedback.

More discussion will happen over the next couple weeks.