argsFile and envFile in launch.json

[SebastianPfliegel]

Environment data

dotnet --info output:

.NET-Befehlszeilentools (2.0.2)
 
Product Information:
 Version:            2.0.2
 Commit SHA-1 hash:  a04b4bf512
 
Runtime Environment:
 OS Name:     Windows
 OS Version:  10.0.15063
 OS Platform: Windows
 RID:         win10-x64
 Base Path:   C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.0.2\

Microsoft .NET Core Shared Framework Host

  Version  : 2.0.0
  Build    : e8b8861ac7faf042c87a5c2f9f2d04c98b69f28d

VS Code version: 1.19.1
C# Extension version: 1.13.1

Feature request

In my launch.json I need to pass sensitive data (like passwords) as arguments (or environment variables). As the launch.json is also committed to Git it's unwise to place the arguments in there. In NodeJS it is already possible to pass a file containing all the arguments (microsoft/vscode#14523 and microsoft/vscode-node-debug2@b3e2e8f3).

[SebastianPfliegel]

@gregg-miskelly: I wanted to implement this feature myself. The only thing I managed so far is modifying ./src/tools/OptionsSchema.json

Can you give me a hint on where to look for the launch.json being parsed and those values being passed to the debugger? I'm a total Java/TypeScript beginner.

[gregg-miskelly]

Here is how I think you could implement it: VS Code will call resolveDebugConfiguration at the start of debugging. We haven't done anything this way, but I believe you could use this as an opportunity to change the options. So you could read the argsFile/envFile and place the content into the args/env options.

The underlying .NET Cored debugger that this extension launches, isn't an open source product. So if that doesn't work this feature would need to be implemented by a Microsoft employee unfortunately.

[SebastianPfliegel]

So, vsdbg parses the launch.json. That would have been my next guess.

Sounds like it shouldn't been touched and vsdbg should be modified instead. And I don't mind if a Microsoft employee finishes the job ;-)

[gregg-miskelly]

Here is the flow: VS Code reads the launch.json file, it sends the content of the active configuration to resolveDebugConfiguration, resolveDebugConfiguration makes any changes it wants to, then VS Code sends that content onto the debug adapter.

You are certainly welcome to wait -- this seems like a fairly simple and useful feature request. That said, I don't think there is anything wrong with implementing this feature in resolveDebugConfiguration, and I don't know when exactly we will get to this feature. So if you are feeling like you would really like this feature, you are more than welcome to try and implement it.

[SebastianPfliegel]

My guesses turn out to be correct then.

I'll give it a try :)

[SebastianPfliegel]

@gregg-miskelly, got it working :)
Needs some polishing though before creating a PR. Can't find a way to replace the variable ${workspaceFolder}.

[gregg-miskelly]

Can't you use the value of the folder argument?

[SebastianPfliegel]

You mean like: if config.envFile contains ${workspaceFolder} substitute it with the value of folder.uri.path? Is this the right approach or is there a ready-to-use function?

[gregg-miskelly]

Yes, that was my suggestion. You could certainly try searching VSCode's source code and see if they either have some code you can borrow or an API you can call. But I don't know the answer off hand.

[SebastianPfliegel]

Haven't found an API yet. Pushed PR #1951 though.

[regul4rj0hn]

Sorry to necro but why is this closed? It is still not possible to use args in combination with the envFile. I guess that it would require a 2-step replacement on launch, which doesn't seem to be implemented (or at least it is not working for me). Is that accurate?

E.g. support the following launch.json :

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
          "name": "Launch",
          "type": "go",
          "request": "launch", 
          "mode": "debug",
          "host": "127.0.0.1",
          "program": "${workspaceFolder}/cmd/api",
          "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/config/.env",
          "args": [
              "-smtp-username", "${env:SMTP_USERNAME}",
              "-smtp-password", "${env:SMTP_PASSWORD}",
              "-auth-url", "${env:AUTH_URL}",
              "-db-dsn", "${env:DB_DSN}",
          ],
          "showLog": true
        }
      ]
}

Expected Result: the args values that point to an env variable get replaced for the correct value whether they reside on the OS or the target envFile.

[gregg-miskelly]

Its closed because @SebastianPfliegel kindly submitted a PR to fix the part that he wanted. I don't know off hand if VS Code makes the syntax you are suggesting there possible. But you are welcome to open another feature request issue.