default launch configure "mode": "auto", run fail(could not launch process: not an executable file), when active editor _test.go file

[iyaozhen]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
default launch package configure

{
    "name": "Launch Package",
    "type": "go",
    "request": "launch",
    "mode": "auto",
    "program": "${workspaceFolder}"
}

It is quick start normal go project, main.go in workspaceFolder.
But when active editor xxx_test.go file, mode auto is test

In auto mode, the extension will choose either debug or test depending on active editor window.

layer=dap building from "/path": [go test -c -o /path/__debug_bin3337152289 -gcflags all=-N -l .]
layer=dap launching binary '/path/__debug_bin3337152289' with config: {
        "mode": "test",
……
layer=debugger launching process with args: [/path/__debug_bin3337152289]
layer=dap Failed to launch: could not launch process: not an executable file

The correct log should be, mode is debug

layer=dap building from "/path": [go build -o /path/__debug_bin688196312 -gcflags all=-N -l .]
layer=dap launching binary '/path/__debug_bin688196312' with config: {
        "mode": "debug",

This does not align with my intuition. I haven't set ${file}.

Of course, this is not a bug. It's just unfriendly to newbies.

Describe the solution you'd like
default configure mode set to debug
OR detect "program": "${workspaceFolder}" and main() function, not just test file. After all, Many tutorials say to set it up like this.

Describe alternatives you've considered
I set mode to debug

Additional context
That's another question. not an executable file fail unfriendly and no more information. #94

[firelizzard18]

Most of the times I've seen an error like this, the cause was that I had set GOOS or GOARCH somewhere and forgot so the binary was built for the wrong platform and thus delve (the debugger) rejected it.

[h9jiang]

Hi iyaozhen

Thanks for raising the issue. I kind of agree this is not the ideal behavior because the workspaceFolder you set in the launch.json express your intention to debug the program not the test.

OR detect "program": "${workspaceFolder}"

The extension actually take two things into consideration when deciding which mode to use. The first is the program, then it's the open editor. But the program have to point to a .go file, so normally main.go. Then "auto" is no longer needed. :D

I think the behavior would be more reasonable if the program is set to the ${file} instead the ${workspaceFolder}. Or explicitly pointing the program to the main.go to avoid any confusion. But at that point, there is no purpose for "auto".

At this moment, I'm afraid any changes of the default behavior would be surprising to the current users. And I'm not very sure how to address this properly so there is minimum interruption to the users.

So maybe explicitly set "debug" and "test" should be the recommended settings.

If no launch config is provided, the extension will also try to dynamically generate a configuration based on the open editor. In this case, the extension infer from the open editor as much as possible so there is less confusion since there is no user input.

See also #1422

[iyaozhen]

@h9jiang
Thank you very much for the response. I understand the current behavior, and it’s probably the best approach for now.

I opened this issue mainly so more people can find it when searching. Many AI IDEs are built on top of VS Code, and a lot of new VS Code users might find this behavior confusing.

Maybe these AI IDE/editor vendors should do their part too 🙂