Support opening `.code-workspace` files to open vs code type workspace directly

[avp1598]

Check for existing issues

• Completed

Describe the feature

I want to be able to open .code-workspace file which opens the workspace with all the folders defined in the file. The file looks something like this

{
  "folders": [
    {
      "name": "ⵣ protocol",
      "path": "."
    },
    {
      "name": "⛓️ blockchain",
      "path": "golang/blockchain"
    },
    {
      "name": "😈 daemon",
      "path": "golang/tribesd"
    },
    {
      "name": "🦀 client",
      "path": "rust/client"
    },
  ],
  "settings": {
    "editor.tabSize": 2,
    "files.exclude": {
      "**/build": true,
      "**/node_modules": true
    },
    "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesContractsDirectory": "src",
    "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesDirectory": "lib",
    "solidity.formatter": "forge",
    "solidity.compileUsingRemoteVersion": "v0.8.20",
    "git.detectSubmodules": false,
    "rust-analyzer.showUnlinkedFileNotification": false,
    "rust-analyzer.cargo.target": "wasm32-unknown-unknown",
    "rust-analyzer.inlayHints.chainingHints.enable": false,
    "rust-analyzer.inlayHints.typeHints.enable": false,
    "rust-analyzer.inlayHints.parameterHints.enable": false,
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
      "source.fixAll.eslint": "explicit"
    },
    "editor.formatOnSave": false
  }
}

If applicable, add mockups / screenshots to help present your vision of the feature

No response

[atljoseph]

This is mainly why zed didn’t “stick” for me. What’s the point in being super fast as an editor if you have to have a different window open for each repo OR have to manually reopen the correct folders on startup? It works ok if you always open same set of folders, but not if you have multiple “workspaces”, as vscode refers to them. Project, workspace, whatever is called… it’s a user friendly shortcut that saves mental bandwidth for heavy users.

[saminton]

This is mainly why zed didn’t “stick” for me. What’s the point in being super fast as an editor if you have to have a different window open for each repo OR have to manually reopen the correct folders on startup? It works ok if you always open same set of folders, but not if you have multiple “workspaces”, as vscode refers to them. Project, workspace, whatever is called… it’s a user friendly shortcut that saves mental bandwidth for heavy users.

Same here, seeing as .code-workspace files are for vscode and can have the list of plugins etc. which won't be relevant, having say a .zed-workspace or .zed-project etc. would be fine imo.

[mloskot]

This is mainly why zed didn’t “stick” for me. What’s the point in being super fast as an editor if you have to have a different window open for each repo OR have to manually reopen the correct folders on startup?

Same here, for the exactly same reasons.

I often maintain multiple .vscode/*.code-workspace-s per project, especially multi-environment DevOps projects in single repo, for example: .vscode/env-dev.code-workspace, .vscode/env-prd.code-workspace, etc. each manually crafted with environment-specific configuration modules.

The simple zed . simply does not cut it.

[reslear]

use our config .zed/name.workspace and supports .vscode/name.code-workspace

1. folders same syntax

2. settings by proxy vscode -> zed:
   ex. "editor.fontSize": 13 -> "buffer_font_size": 13

ps. It's just an idea

[atljoseph]

Can you link the docs?

…

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[jliverman]

In my experience, Zed does not keep track of multiple repos (i.e. folders) within a single "Project" as they call it. From what I gather, Zed's concept of a "Project" is the root folder of a single git repo.

So if I start from a fresh Zed window and select File > Add Folder to Project... and open folder A and then do the same for folders B & C (note that A, B and C each have their own .git subfolder because they are each a separate git repo) then the name of the project and the current branch (listed in the upper-left) BOTH reflect the first folder that was opened i.e. A. It doesn't matter if I click or double-click the folder for B or C... It cannot "see" their branches. So you could be on the develop branch for A and actually be on the master branch for B and C but it would never tell you; you'd be editing code in the wrong branch if you trusted that it kept up with the repos-per-folder like VS Code does. To reinforce this, notice that if you click on the branch then the only available branch names are those from A; branches in B and C do not show up AT ALL.

So it's not that "Zed needs to support VS Code workspace documents" as much as it's that Zed needs to support a "workspace" concept altogether. In other words, we need a "Workspace" that can keep track of multiple "Projects" (repos/folders) at the same time. Then and only then can we have a .zed-workspace file (and support its analogue from VS Code).

Please correct if I am wrong (shrug).

[mobismadev]

to whom this idea may help, giving zed multiple directories as arguments allows one to open multiple directories in a single command call. so for example if your project consists of directories ~/dir1 and ~/dir2, you may create an alias for opening your project, which executes zed ~/dir1 ~/dir2, and it will open a new zed window with those two directories.

this is, naturally, a temporary solution since i do trust that they will eventually introduce a proper way of managing projects, but i don't think it's worth to discard the entire editor for the lack of this particular feature.

[atljoseph]

Recently picked up Talon voice, and there are a lot of examples of working with VS code. It is SO useful to those with handicaps, or to those who employ it for power use. Going to go with the familiar. Not because it is better, which can’t really be measured. But because of the maturity of the product, availability of extensions, and the general completeness of the ecosystem around the product and its various forks. Thanks

PS. Vscode git also supports multiple repos and even repos inside of repos, all attached to a single workspace file. That pretty much says it all right there.