How to launch specific task from input variable in VS Code? - visual-studio-code

Question

I'm trying to create a launch configuration where an environment variable is dynamically determined by a shell script. Even though a command variable can start a task via workbench.action.tasks.runTask, it doesn't seem to be possible to specify which task to run. Input variables seem to be a little more flexible in that regard, but I can't seem to get it to work. Here is what I got:
launch.json:
{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
{
"name": "Launch",
"type": "go",
"request": "launch",
"mode": "auto",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/main.go",
"env": {
"XXX": "${input:foo}"
},
"args": []
}
],
"inputs": [
{
"type": "command",
"id": "foo",
"command": "workbench.action.tasks.runTask",
"args": {
"args": "bar",
}
}
]
}
tasks.json:
{
"version": "2.0.0",
"tasks": [
{
"label": "bar",
"type": "shell",
"command": "find /dev -name 'myspecialdevice*' -maxdepth 1"
}
]
}
The issue is that the user is still queried for which task to run. I'm most insecure about the inputs.args section of the launch.json. I don't really know what the key value should be. Perhaps the implementation helps to figure this out?

Answer 1

This answer not really relates to make use of a vscode task, but your introducting sentence offers the motivation/what is intended to be solved.
I was faced to the same question and was wondering about vscode's input type:command. It offers a way to embed a (custom) vscode command -- which looks like a powerfull mechanism to embed a (custom) extension here. But I didn't found a builtin command that simply executes a shell script and returns it stdout. Thus an extension to capture the output of a shell command is imho required todo the trick.
E.g. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=augustocdias.tasks-shell-input
provides a command shellCommand.execute doing exactly this.
{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
{
"name": "Launch",
"type": "go",
"request": "launch",
"mode": "auto",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/main.go",
"env": {
"XXX": "${input:foo}"
},
"args": []
}
],
"inputs": [
{
"id": "foo",
"type": "command",
"command": "shellCommand.execute",
"args": {
"command": "find /dev -name 'myspecialdevice*' -maxdepth 1",
"cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
/* To prevent user from selecting output (if there is just
one line printed by command), un-comment next line */
//"useSingleResult": true
}
}
]
}
(Inspired by https://stackoverflow.com/a/58930746/1903441)

Answer 2

In your launch.json, try replacing
"args": {
"args": "bar",
}
with
"args": "bar"

Answer 3

It seems that in vscode, you cannot pass a return or even an environment variable from task.json to launch.json. But you can use a file as a intermediate.
For example, in task.json:
{
"version": "2.0.0",
"tasks": [
{
"label": "bar",
"type": "shell",
"command": "find /dev -name 'myspecialdevice*' -maxdepth 1 > ${workspaceFolder}/.vscode/temp"
}
]
}
In launch.json you set bar as preLaunchTask, and later access the file using inputs, like this:
{
"version": "0.2.0",
"configurations": [
{
"name": "Launch",
"type": "go",
"request": "launch",
"mode": "auto",
"program": "${workspaceFolder}/main.go",
"env": {
"XXX": "${input:foo}"
},
"args": [],
"preLaunchTask": "bar",
}
],
"inputs": [
{
"id": "foo",
"type": "command",
"command": "extension.commandvariable.file.content",
"args": {
"fileName": "${workspaceFolder}/.vscode/temp",
}
}
]
}
To get the comment working, just install this extension: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=rioj7.command-variable