microsoft / microsoft/TypeScript

Add Inline value provider api for debugging

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Description

From https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/119489

Background

The new inline value api for VS Code lets language extensions tell the debugger which values should be shown directly in a file while debugging. Without this API, VS Code uses a generic method for determining which values to show. This ends up showing many irrelevant values to the user

See https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/119489 for an example of this

Feature Request

We'd like to use the TypeScript server's language smarts to implement the VS Code inline value api so that only relevant values are shown.

Here's a potential shape of the API based on the vscode inline value API

// For debugging, we request inline values at a specific location in a file
interface InlineValueRequestArgs extends FileLocationRequestArgs {}

interface InlineValueResponse  extends Response {
   body: InlineValue[];
}

// Support two types of inline values: simple ones that can be looked up by name, and more complex ones
// that require evaluating an expression
type InlineValue = InlineValueVariableLookup | InlineValueEvaluatableExpression;

// A value that can be looked up by name.
// This is mostly just an optimization for a common case of inline values 
interface InlineValueVariableLookup {
    // Span in code of the identifier
    readonly span: TextSpan;

    // Optional variable name to look up. If not specified, uses the name from `span`
    // TODO: Is this needed for TS?
    readonly variableName?: string;
}

// A value which is shown by evaluating a given expression
interface InlineValueEvaluatableExpression {
    // Span in code of the expression
    readonly span: TextSpan;

    // Optional expression to evaluate. If not specified, uses the expression from `span`
    // TODO: Is this needed for TS?
    readonly expression?: string;
}

Behavior

Some notes on how the inline value provider should work (copied from @connor4312):

  • The debugger should handle source maps, so the provider should only have to worry about the requested file

  • Inline values should only be provided in the current and parent scopes

  • Declarations and assignments assignments should evaluate the declared or assigned expression, bar in bar = foo() or foo in function foo() {}

  • Conditional expressions (ternary or if statements) should evaluate the conditional and none of its children, !foo && bar in if (!foo && bar)

  • Property assignments should be evaluated, foo() in { x: foo() }

Here's a small example of some inline values:

function double(n: number) { // eval('double') -> double()
  return n * 2;
}

let x = 1; // InlineValueVariableLookup for x here

if (x === 2) { // eval(x === 2) -> false
  x *= 2; // this line should NOT be evaluated since it's not the scope or its parents
}

if (x === 1) { // eval(x === 1) -> true
  x *= 2; // InlineValueVariableLookup for x here
  const y = {
    z: x ** 2, // eval(x ** 2) -> 16
  };

  console.log(x); // <-- paused here
}

@connor4312 Is handling this on the VS Code side and should be able to answer any questions regarding this API

/cc @weinand

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No repository file or test is named. Start by reviewing the proposed inline value interfaces and the linked VS Code inline value API, then inspect the TypeScript server entry points that expose language-service requests. Done means the server provides inline values for the current and parent scopes while following the listed declaration, assignment, conditional, and property-expression behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
devtools
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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