Block cursor in command mode

[snowiow]

Hi, I'm interested in implementing this feature and studied the API. I didn't find anything and asked on the official issue tracker of vscode, but no answer so far. Does someone of you know, how I can get it done, to manipulate the cursor shape?

[jpoon]

Related: #13

Thanks so much for helping look into this! I couldn't find anything in the vscode documentation either; but you could potentially fake it but selecting the current character to mimic the block cursor.

[snowiow]

Ok, I was already afraid of something like that. After reading their approach it looked like it isn't allowed at all for the moment, because they are going a very conservative way of extension possibilities. Hope they allow more in the future though. So long this fake selection, seems to be the only possibility.

[adriaanp]

Would the DecorationRenderOptions with cursor property not style the cursor when setting a TextEditorDecorationType on the editor?

[adriaanp]

Never mind after a quick test, that is the actual mouse cursor styling

[drewcassidy]

Excuse my lack of experience with javascript and web-based stuff, but didnt someone say in #18 it was possible to render things directly to the canvas? would that work to draw the block cursor?

[ThatRendle]

Looks like the best way to do this right now is to define a single-character range in the textEditor with the backgroundColor style set, and move it with the cursor.

[jpoon]

Also just tried setting mimicking the block as a selection:

let position = new vscode.Position(0, 0);
let selection = new vscode.Selection(position, position.translate(0, 1));
vscode.window.activeTextEditor.selection = selection ;

It sorta works but you still see the cursor, so....suboptimal -- css styling may be the way to go.