VSCode is opening on empty Explorer View

[remi2257]

Describe the bug
Since the last extension version (0.7.0), when starting VSCode, the left panel opens an empty Explorer View (as shown in the screenshot)

Downgrading to 0.6.1 fixes the issue

Expected behavior
VSCode should open with the first tab (folders) OR with the tab opened before the last closing.

Screenshots

[kevinramharak]

Thank you for your report.
It seems a bit odd, because it should attach to the Explorer view panel by default.
One thing I noticed while trying to reproduce is that I am able to drag the view from my own explorer view panel, into any other place I want:

1. Before

2. After

Can you open your Explorer (top icon in your sidebar) and try and drag the bottom icon into place where it should be as shown on my "Before" picture?
I think it may have been dragged there by accident.

[remi2257]

When you say "Explorer", did you mean "Files ? On my VSCode, Explorer & Files have the same icon, it can be a bit confusing ^^'
That being said, when I go into Files, the Explorer tab evaporates, so I cannot drag it where you show.
What worked was:

• moving it to the bottom area (the one with the terminal) => at this point, it opens it by default instead of the terminal (which I don't want)
• and then, dragging it into your spot where I can juste hide it !

[kevinramharak]

@remi2257 Yes, I do mean the files view. Although in VS Code terms it's called "Explorer":

But that's not very intuitive for the user, when it is mainly used to display the files of a workspace.

That being said, when I go into Files, the Explorer tab evaporates, so I cannot drag it where you show.

That definitely seems like a bug, I'm guessing on the end of VS Code, because we use the method that is documented here. I will see if I can find an issue for it in their repo.

Also, I did not notice, but yes, the icon is incorrect. The one shown in my screenshot is the one we configured in pretty-ts-errors. This indicates VS Code is confused about the panel not existing and trying to create a new one, except for when you open it (?) because then it disappears.

It seems like you figured out a workaround, but can you post your vscode version? I want to try to reproduce it in case more users might have this issue.

[remi2257]

Yes, I do mean the files view. Although in VS Code terms it's called "Explorer"

Well, on mine, it is "Folders" ^^' Maybe that I "extracted" the folders from the explorer tab at one point

VScode : Version 1.106.3

[kevinramharak]

@remi2257 Ah, that is extremely helpful. I did not know that was possible, but that allows me to reproduce it if I disable all the views in Explorer and the Explorer tab itself. I think we can add a check or condition only to create that view if the explorer tab isn't disabled.

[kevinramharak]

There are a few context options related to the explorer view, but I don't see a proper way to detect this edge case, without unwanted side effects. There does not seem to be an API to query the state of other UI elements, besides checking if they are currently visible or focussed.

Since adding views to the existing base UI is documented and a common case for extensions, I think it would be better to recommend not dragging the Folders view out of the explorer panel, but rather disabling all the other views like this:

This would keep the option for users to disable the Pretty Typescript Error view (or other views extensions add), without introducing buggy behaviour.

If anyone finds a way to handle this case properly, we can reopen it.

[cou723]

Follow-up:
When using this extension, if you are split as an explorer like the Owner of this Issue, "workbench.files.action.focusFilesExplorer" will stop working.
I usually used "workbench.files.action.focusFilesExplorer" to focus on folders, so when I switched to a profile that included this extension for the first time in a while (I probably "extracted" it the last time I used the profile), I was surprised that this keybinding didn't work. However, by doing as written here, it will work again.
Hopefully, people searching for workbench.files.action.focusFilesExplorer will find their way here...

[kevinramharak]

#166 seems like there are multiple people with the same or similar issues, all stemming from the same root. We should try and implement a fix that it doesn't mess with the UI's of people who disabled the 'Explorer' view.