Vscode: Disable extension recommendation

[hackjutsu]

• VSCode Version: 1.11.1
• OS Version: macOS 10.12.4

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Download a fresh vscode.
2. Create file.py and open it.

This notification is annoying and I have to click "Don't show again" for every new file type. (Imagine a new user switches to vscode and opens a big project for the first time.)

It would be best if we can disable this recommendation notification in the setting.

[morrme]

I would love to help, but I'm new. Is mentoring available to help resolve this?

[joaomoreno]

Sure, go through our how to contribute guide and then check this out.

[morrme]

@joaomoreno OK, so is this something you want to remove completely from the codebase (that section that deals with recommendations)? or just create a way to allow the user to disable this type of recommendation?

[joaomoreno]

Here's an idea:

Let's add a new configuration setting: extensions.ignoreRecommendations, defaults to false.

When the user clicks Never Show Again for one specific extension recommendation, we can popup a message saying something like:

Do you want to ignore all extension recommendations?

With the options of Yes, Ignore All, No, Cancel. The user's answer would be reflected in the value of the setting.

[morrme]

@joaomoreno this sounds like a great idea!

looks like there are 2 places that message appears:
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/workbench/parts/extensions/electron-browser/extensionTipsService.ts#L177

and

https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/workbench/parts/extensions/electron-browser/extensionTipsService.ts#L217

but also somewhere in here
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/blob/master/src/vs/workbench/parts/extensions/electron-browser/extensionTipsService.ts#L125

We need to check for the setting before gearing up the recommendations, correct?

[joaomoreno]

That is correct! We should still collect the recommendations though, but just not alert the user about them.

[rishab-pdx]

@joaomoreno Need some clarity on this.

1. Should the workspace recommended extensions that are shown to user with the message

This workspace has extension recommendations.

respect this new setting - extensions.ignoreRecommendations ?

1. And should this be a user configuration or workspace configuration ? - I feel it should be a workspace configuration.

[joaomoreno]

Should the workspace recommended extensions that are shown to user with the message

Great question. I'd say so. What do you think?

And should this be a user configuration or workspace configuration ? - I feel it should be a workspace configuration.

I'd make it a user configuration only.

[rishab-pdx]

@joaomoreno Thanks for you input. I implemented this and I am testing it out, need some input on this .
The behavior and problem is depicted in the attached image.

1. Clicking on Don't show again for any one one of the message.Should hide all the messages and pops up a Message to Do you want to ignore all extension recommendations.

Current behavior:

1. When the user chooses Yes,Ignore All - we add the extension say Go to extensionAssistant/importantRecommendationsIgnore list sets extensions.ignoreRecommendations to true.
2. When the user chooses No - we add the extension and its type to extensionAssistant/importantRecommendationsIgnore and hide that message. And ask user for choice on other remaining messages.
3. When the user choosed Cancel - we just hide the current message and ask for choice on other remaining messages.

Question :

Should we add all the extensions to extensionAssistant/importantRecommendationsIgnore in case 1 - I think 'we should not' - as each of the message is asking a choice from the user for that specific file
type.What do you think on this ?

If at all you think we should add all , then is there a way to check that all the current messages are from the same action and selecting a choice on one should set the choice for all and then push all the current extension recommendations to extensionAssistant/importantRecommendationsIgnore list ? . At this time I can see messageService.hideAll() to hide all and then update extensions.ignoreRecommendations accordingly as described in behavior above.

[joaomoreno]

You shouldn't correlate all those messages with themselves. Let's handle one at a time.

As soon as a user clicks on any of the Don't show again buttons, we add that extension to the ignore list and the Do you want to ignore all extension recommendations message comes up. If the user presses Yes, Ignore All we store an extra global boolean that means _don't show more recommendations_. No need to add all the other extensions to the ignore list.

[rishab-pdx]

@joaomoreno can you review this #25038 and let me know if any modifications are required, or there is a better way to achieve it ?

[joaomoreno]

@rishii7 I'll have to do it in May, pretty busy already this month.

[morrme]

@joaomoreno i just have a question--since i was the first to volunteer for this one, did i skip a step? i thought i was supposed to be working on this one but someone else sort of took over....how can i properly claim an issue next time?

[joaomoreno]

Oh I didn't realise someone else actually picked it up. You did all the right things... @rishii7 just seems to have stepped on your toes.

[morrme]

@joaomoreno i see. thanks.

[wuzixiao]

Hi @rishii7, @joaomoreno , I am new to this project and want to help.

Can I ask how do you debug your code for extentions? As when you run out of source, you can not connect to the extension marketplace.

Thanks

[rishab-pdx]

@wuzixiao Even I am new to this project. I had the same problem but looking at the existing issues, I found this and I hope this will help you.

[wuzixiao]

Thanks @rishii7 . It is really helpful.

[simonjaeger]

@joaomoreno Since https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/pull/25038 is merged - should this PR be closed?

[joaomoreno]

Yeah, thanks!