operating system independent home folder variable

[imthenachoman]

• On Linux and macOS the user's home folder variable is $HOME.
• On Windows it is %userprofile%.

This means, if you need to reference something you have to specify it twice: once for Linux/macOS and once for Windows.

{
    // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
    // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "options": {
        "env": {
            "SOME_VAR": "${env:HOME}/path/to/file"
        }
    },
    "windows": {
        "options": {
            "env": {
                "SOME_VAR": "${env:userprofile}\\path\\to\\file",
            }
        }
    }
}

If VS Code had an environment variable (like https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/variables-reference) that pointed to the running OS' home then it would simplify things in tasks.json.

{
    // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
    // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "options": {
        "env": {
            "SOME_VAR": "${userHome}{pathSeparator}path{pathSeparator}to{pathSeparator}file"
        }
    }

Pretty please? With sugar on top?

[Bruce-Hopkins]

Can I work on this issue?

[imthenachoman]

Happy to test if needed.

Another idea I had, if it is easier or makes more sense, is nested variables processed in order. For example, something like:

{
    // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558
    // for the documentation about the tasks.json format
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "variables": {
        "MY_HOME": "${env:HOME}",
        "windows": {
            "MY_HOME": "${env:userprofile}"
        },
    },
    // then we could use ${MY_HOME} anywhere else....
    // and this would need to be in tasks.json for collaborative development reasons
}

[alexr00]

@Bruce-Hopkins you are welcome to work on it!

First, let's make the first parameter of recursiveResolve here a new type which is IProcessEnvironement & {userHome: URI}.

vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts

Lines 124 to 125 in e7b3724

	private recursiveResolve(environment: IProcessEnvironment | undefined, folderUri: uri | undefined, value: any, commandValueMapping?: IStringDictionary<string>, resolvedVariables?: Map<string, string>): any {
	if (types.isString(value)) {

Then, you'll need to get the userhome value somewhere around here:

vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts

Lines 95 to 96 in e7b3724

	return this.recursiveResolve(await this._envVariablesPromise, workspaceFolder ? workspaceFolder.uri : undefined, result, commandValueMapping, resolvedVariables);
	}

For an example of how to get userhome (you won't need the preferLocal options):

vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/dialogs/browser/simpleFileDialog.ts

Lines 246 to 249 in c8e2fd7

	protected getUserHome(): Promise<URI> {
	return this.pathService.userHome({ preferLocal: this.scheme === Schemas.file });
	}

Finally, the variable name will need to be added into this switch:

vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts

Lines 224 to 225 in e7b3724

	switch (variable) {

[Bruce-Hopkins]

@alexr00 thanks! I appreciate the detailed response. If you could help, I have a few questions.

1. I apologize, but I don't understand what needs to be changed here.
   

   vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts

   Lines 95 to 96 in e7b3724

   	return this.recursiveResolve(await this._envVariablesPromise, workspaceFolder ? workspaceFolder.uri : undefined, result, commandValueMapping, resolvedVariables);
   	}

2. I'm trying to make a function to get the home path like the example:
   

   vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/dialogs/browser/simpleFileDialog.ts

   Lines 246 to 249 in c8e2fd7

   	protected getUserHome(): Promise<URI> {
   	return this.pathService.userHome({ preferLocal: this.scheme === Schemas.file });
   	}

But in the constructor, we don't receive the IPathService interface. Do I add an optional parameter to this constructor or is there a better way?

vscode/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts

Lines 43 to 44 in e7b3724

	constructor(_context: IVariableResolveContext, _labelService?: ILabelService, _envVariablesPromise?: Promise<IProcessEnvironment>) {
	this._context = _context;

[alexr00]

1. I apologize, but I don't understand what needs to be changed here.

Once you make the first change ("First, let's make the first parameter of recursiveResolve here a new type which is IProcessEnvironement & {userHome: URI}."), you'll need to update the first parameter on that line.

But in the constructor, we don't receive the IPathService interface. Do I add an optional parameter to this constructor or is there a better way?

Yep, an optional parameter is the way to get IPathService here.

[Bruce-Hopkins]

Is this good? I made the param a union type. Will this prevent needing to make any changes to the envVariablesPromises

https://github.com/Bruce-Hopkins/vscode/blob/35db2798d860e63f2fcb0ddd45bff98b16e8a09d/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts#L128-L129

Also, I'm trying to find a way to use pathService, but I don't think I can return the result in the switch statement because the function is asynchronous.

https://github.com/Bruce-Hopkins/vscode/blob/35db2798d860e63f2fcb0ddd45bff98b16e8a09d/src/vs/workbench/services/configurationResolver/common/variableResolver.ts#L193-L196