Support debugging VS Code extensions via the debug view

[akosyakov]

There should be a debug configuration provider for extensionHost debug type. It allows a user to create a proper node debug configuration and does not require any extra UI.

[tsmaeder]

@akosyakov there is a command called "Hosted Plugin: Debug Instance" available from the command palette. Does that fulfil your need?

[akosyakov]

It is about the convenient dev flow for existing VS Code extension developers, that they can specify custom debug configuration and run it with one hit of F5 without any additional UI.

[akosyakov]

One can setup node debug configuration for time being, it is quite straightforward, see #3251 (comment)

[DoroNahari]

Hi @akosyakov,
Are you working on it? we can help

[akosyakov]

Nope, it is free to grab. VS Code exposes a command for Node.js debug extension to start another instance of VS Code. We should implement such command and start another instance of Theia plus translate arguments.

[DoroNahari]

@amiramw please assign @danarad05 to this issue.

[danarad05]

Hi @akosyakov @tsmaeder @amiramw @DoroNahari,

I need some assistance here. As far as I understand task I need to add another launch configuration to existing default launch configurations - here:

After debugging, I found that list of default configurations are coming from vscode builtin plugins:
vscode-builtin-js-debug (https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-js-debug repo)
vscode-builtin-node-debug (https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-node-debug repo)

Questions:

1. Is above correct?
2. Am I supposed to update these repos? I don't think so as these are vscode repos and not theia repos. So what is course of action here?
3. Also, we are aiming at implementing the "Hosted Plugin: Debug Instance" functionality as a launch config right?

Thanks

-Dan

[amiramw]

@danarad05 in vcsode there is a launch configuration type called "extensionHost". I think it is coming from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-node-debug2/blob/15dd85748034c0d8567532271535e58345fd5354/package.json#L84

Maybe try to look into this repo. vscode-node-debug2 is loaded in theia: https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/blob/master/package.json#L122

[danarad05]

@amiramw Thanks, I'll check it but there is still same issue as in my question #2 above as vscode-node-debug2 plugin is also a microsoft vscode repo - https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-node-debug2.

[akosyakov]

You don't need to add any new configurations. They are already contributed by node 2 vscode built-in extension. You only need to implement a command which this extension is calling to start another instance of VS Code.

[amiramw]

@akosyakov by command you mean theia cli option?
and then the below configuration will work with theia execPath?
https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-node-debug2/blob/master/package.json#L96-L100

[akosyakov]

I mean https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-node-debug2/blob/bcd333ef87642b817ac96d28fde7ab96fee3f6a9/src/nodeDebugAdapter.ts#L349