Open file links from console or compile output

[hensz]

• VSCode Version:1.45.1
• OS Version: Windows 10.0.18363

Hi!

When I either do a compilation in the integrated terminal or with a build task and I click on a file "link" for an error or a warning, the file is opened differently than when I open it from the Explorer pane.

Files opened from the Explorer pane are displayed with a relative file path (relative to the workspace root I assume). However, since the file names in compiler output have absolute paths (at least in my case, not sure of this can be changed somehow) the file is also opened with absolute file path. My assumption is that now VSCode "thinks" that this is a different file than the one opened from Explorer. Therefore the file is opened twice, which causes quite some confusion, especially both variants can be edited simultaneously, eventually resulting in conflicts during saving the second one.

Also the search is affected: If a file was opened from the compile output each search results in that file are displayed twice, once in the regular list of results, and once under "Other files".

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Open a file from the Explorer, create a compile error
2. Compile this file from VSCode
3. Click the link to the file in the compile output
4. Now the file is opened twice.

[vscodebot]

(Experimental duplicate detection)
Thanks for submitting this issue. Please also check if it is already covered by an existing one, like:

• Multiple editors open for the same file (#25568)

[hensz]

btw, thanks vscodebot for suggesting this possible duplicate. I'm not sure however if this is indeed a duplicate or a different issue. Especially here I'm working with VSCode on Windows, but using Remote Development on a Linux machine. So for the Windows VSCode the two file name variants might not be that easy to interpret as "equal" - but perhaps they can be interpreted as "equal" by the Remove Development extension?

[hensz]

btw, I just realized that also "C++: Switch Header/Source" has this issue, it opens the file with absolute path, i.e. outside of the VSCode workspace.

[Tyriar]

I cannot reproduce this, either with relative or absolute links in the terminal.

Could you first try the new terminal links using this setting:

"terminal.integrated.experimentalLinkProvider": true

If it still happens can you take a screenshot of the following and post here:

• The link that causes the problem
• The explorer item you opened
• A screenshot of the tooltip when you hover both file tabs

[hensz]

Hi Tyriar!
The issue also occurs when I use the new terminal links setting: When I click the link the source file is opened with absolute path, which is considered as "outside of the repository".

As I explained in my second comment, I'm using Remote Development. When I worked natively on Linux the issue didn't occur, so I assume that it's caused by using Remote Development with VS Code on Windows and the source code residing on Linux.

Let me build a small example outside of my productive development workspace to reproduce the issue, so I can safely post screenshots and further information here.

Thanks,
Torsten

[hensz]

Hi!
As first reproduction scenario I simply set up a dummy project, opened a header and cpp file, then executed the Switch Header/Source command. The attached screenshot is the result: The header is opened twice: previously with relative path ./ and after executing the command with absolute path /data/.../test.

[hensz]

I cannot easily reproduce the build error issue with this dummy project. We're using cmake with a custom wrapper around. This cannot be setup so easily for my dummy project.

When I simply execute gcc with my sources, e.g. gcc struct.cpp, the compiler output only contains relative paths, and opening these links doesn't work.

With our cmake project we get error messages with absolute paths. But since VS Code uses relative paths for files from the workspace, opening these links with absolute paths causes this issue.

[Tyriar]

@bpasero maybe duplicate of #12448? See #98593 (comment) that struct.h is showing up as 2 tabs

[bpasero]

Can you try to reproduce with our nightly insider builds? You can give our preview releases a try from: https://code.visualstudio.com/insiders/