Vscode-python: "write EPIPE" error when running "Python Refactor: Sort Imports"

[hkennyv]

Environment data

• VS Code version: Version: 1.48.0-insider
• Extension version (available under the Extensions sidebar): v2020.7.94776
• OS and version: MacOS 10.14.6 (AMD hackintosh if that matters)
• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): Python 3.8.2
• Type of virtual environment used (N/A | venv | virtualenv | conda | ...): virtualenv
• Relevant/affected Python packages and their versions: isort 4.3.21
• Relevant/affected Python-related VS Code extensions and their versions: N/A
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Jedi

Expected behaviour

Given input file main.py:

from typing import List, Optional
from datetime import datetime

print("Hello World")

Using the python extension's "Python Refactor: Sort Imports" command, it should rearrange the imports in alphabetical order to the following:

from datetime import datetime
from typing import List, Optional

print("Hello World")

Actual behaviour

After pressing cmd+shift+P and selecting "Python Refactor: Sort Imports", I get this little error popup saying "write EPIPE" (see image).

NOTE: this works properly when runningisort main.py manually from the terminal

Steps to reproduce:

./.vscode/settings.json

{
    "python.pythonPath": "venv/bin/python",
    "python.sortImports.path": "isort"
}

1. create file main.py above
2. create a virtual environment - virtualenv venv
3. activate virtual environment - source venv/bin/activate
4. install isort dependency - pip install isort
5. Open command palette (cmd+shift+P on mac)
6. Search "Python Refactor: Sort Imports" and select the correct command
7. Press Enter

Logs

N/A

[hkennyv]

Figured it out, silly mistake.

Change the value of python.sortImports.path to "venv/bin/isort" and it works now (although a more helpful error message could be a QOL improvement).

./.vscode/settings.json

{
    "python.pythonPath": "venv/bin/python",
    "python.sortImports.path": "venv/bin/isort"
}

[jaklan]

@hkennyv it's not a mistake - this is an error, "python.sortImports.path": "isort" should work the same way the isort command works within virtualenv (and for other tools like e.g. black that's working with no problem).

[hkennyv]

@jaklan that is exactly what I thought the case would be, seeing how black is handled in the settings.json. I can confirm this is still an issue on my current vscode version:

Version: 1.49.0-insider
Commit: bd08768fd310d34cdd4423a53e5f3ca77340fea5
Date: 2020-08-14T06:47:57.598Z (17 hrs ago)
Electron: 9.2.0
Chrome: 83.0.4103.122
Node.js: 12.14.1
V8: 8.3.110.13-electron.0
OS: Darwin x64 18.7.0

I'll reopen this since I'm not the only one expecting this behavior, thanks!

[hkennyv]

nevermind.. can't seem to reproduce this issue haha

[jaklan]

nevermind.. can't seem to reproduce this issue haha

What do you mean? You used "python.sortImports.path": "isort" and it worked?

[hkennyv]

@jaklan I believe it was due to an issue with an outdated version of isort (see #12932). I've updated all my dependencies and wasn't able to reproduce it. I even spent a lot of time putting together a PR, only to find out it may have been an older version of isort

[jaklan]

@jaklan I believe it was due to an issue with an outdated version of isort (see #12932). I've updated all my dependencies and wasn't able to reproduce it. I even spent a lot of time putting together a PR, only to find out it may have been an older version of isort

But these issues are completely unrelated. The linked one is about updating a version of isort shipped with VS Code (used when "python.sortImports.path" is empty) and the problem with "python.sortImports.path": "isort" occurs when you want to use isort installed within your e.g. virtual env. The second use-case is an unresolved problem for a quite long time, so if you make it work with your PR - please, open it again!

[hkennyv]

@jaklan It seems to work for me now using both venv/bin/isort and just isort, so i closed it since i'm not able to reproduce it at the moment 🤷‍♂️.. if you're still facing this issue, i'll gladly reopen though!

[jaklan]

@hkennyv yeah, still facing, but I've just compared our versions:

Version: 1.48.0
Commit: db40434f562994116e5b21c24015a2e40b2504e6
Date: 2020-08-13T08:03:27.059Z
Electron: 7.3.2
Chrome: 78.0.3904.130
Node.js: 12.8.1
V8: 7.8.279.23-electron.0
OS: Darwin x64 18.7.0

I'll install the insider one and share the result in a moment.

[hkennyv]

If you don't mind, could you share your settings.json and output of python -m pip list? @jaklan

[jaklan]

@hkennyv I've just tried VSCode Insiders:

Version: 1.49.0-insider
Commit: bd08768fd310d34cdd4423a53e5f3ca77340fea5
Date: 2020-08-14T06:47:57.598Z
Electron: 9.2.0
Chrome: 83.0.4103.122
Node.js: 12.14.1
V8: 8.3.110.13-electron.0
OS: Darwin x64 18.7.0

with such a config:

{
    "python.pythonPath": ".venv/bin/python",
    "python.formatting.provider": "black",
    "python.linting.pylintEnabled": false,
    "python.linting.flake8Enabled": true,
    "python.linting.enabled": true,
    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
    "python.sortImports.path": "isort"
}

and I don't get write EPIPE error, but the effect is the same - isort simply doesn't work, but black - yes. Virtual env is activated of course and when running isort from CLI - everything is okay. But what's more interesting - even if I switch to the built-in isort (so leave the path empty), it also doesn't work anymore.

[hkennyv]

@jaklan and what about your version of isort? i was fairly certain the issue came down to that, but I could definitely be wrong. Thanks for posting, I'll reopen this!

[jaklan]

@hkennyv the latest one (5.4.2, previously 5.4.1). I have tried one more thing in Insiders - run Python Refactor: Sort Imports command by hand and:

• got the same original write EPIPE error when using "python.sortImports.path": "isort" (details below)
• got sorted imports when using "python.sortImports.path": ""

So exactly the same behaviour as previously. The only difference is the Format Document command which is now broken and it doesn't sort imports regardless of which isort, built-in or virtualenv-based, I use (also in Format on save mode).

mainThreadExtensionService.ts:65 [[object Object]]write EPIPE
$onExtensionRuntimeError @ host.ts:10
mainThreadExtensionService.ts:66 Error: write EPIPE
    at afterWriteDispatched (internal/stream_base_commons.js:149)
    at writeGeneric (internal/stream_base_commons.js:140)
    at Socket._writeGeneric (net.js:776)
    at Socket._write (net.js:788)
    at doWrite (_stream_writable.js:435)
    at writeOrBuffer (_stream_writable.js:419)
    at Socket.Writable.write (_stream_writable.js:309)
    at b.communicateWithIsortProcess (/Users/jaklan/.vscode-insiders/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.9.101620-dev/out/client/extension.js:48)
    at t.pythonExecutionFactory.create.resource (/Users/jaklan/.vscode-insiders/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.9.101620-dev/out/client/extension.js:48)
    at b._provideDocumentSortImportsEdits (/Users/jaklan/.vscode-insiders/extensions/ms-python.python-2020.9.101620-dev/out/client/extension.js:48)
    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:94)

[jaklan]

Two more related issues:

7042 - different error message, but exactly the same case

4922 - a bit different case, but a potential solution would resolve also this issue

[karrtikr]

I just want to quickly acknowledge that we have received the issue and will be looking into it soon.

[karrtikr]

@jaklan @hkennyv This is a duplicate of https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/7042. The error message is different from one before because we changed how we're running isort, but it's the same issue.