vs.extensions.getExtension(...).extensionKind returns incorrect value of ExtensionKind.UI

[DanTup]

If my VS Code extension runs this code (on Cloud Shell):

console.log(extensions.getExtension(dartCodeExtensionIdentifier).extensionKind);

I get the output 1, but 2 is expected. The description of the enum is:

/**
 * In a remote window the extension kind describes if an extension
 * runs where the UI (window) runs or if an extension runs remotely.
 */
export enum ExtensionKind {

	/**
	 * Extension runs where the UI runs.
	 */
	UI = 1,

	/**
	 * Extension runs where the remote extension host runs.
	 */
	Workspace = 2
}

In this case, the extension is running on a remote machine whereas the UI is running in the browser. In Flutter we use this to know whether to enable/disable some features (for example we disabled launching emulators but enable the web-server device).

I had a look in the code to see where this comes from, but was unable to find it.

[vince-fugnitto]

@DanTup thank you for reporting the issue, I believe it is UI since the implementation is currently stubbed (fef4e8d):

theia/packages/plugin-ext-vscode/src/node/plugin-vscode-init.ts

Lines 100 to 110 in 8385768

	function asExtension(plugin: any | undefined): any | undefined {
	if (!plugin) {
	return plugin;
	}
	if (plugin.pluginPath) {
	plugin.extensionPath = plugin.pluginPath;
	}
	// stub as a local VS Code extension (not running on a remote workspace)
	plugin.extensionKind = ExtensionKind.UI;
	return plugin;
	}

[DanTup]

It seems like that might be a bad default (at least for web-based), since in the browser is always a "remote" workspace. UI extensions can only run when the extension host and the UI are in the same place - eg. see "Details about the New Format & Behaviour" table at microsoft/vscode#85819 which shows UI extensions would not run in web.

(I'm not sure why I didn't notice this when it was first done, I think it was me that asked for it 🙈)

[Ark-kun]

@DanTup How do you manage to run your extension in Google Cloud Shell Editor? Can you post a link to an article or gist?

If my VS Code extension runs this code (on Cloud Shell):

[DanTup]

@Ark-kun I don't know how official this is, but unpacking them into ~/.theia/extensions/xxx and then causing it to reload (pkill node) does the trick.

	DART_TEMP_FILE=/tmp/dart.vsix
	wget https://github.com/Dart-Code/Dart-Code/releases/download/v$DART_RELEASE/dart-code-$DART_RELEASE.vsix -O $DART_TEMP_FILE
	unzip $DART_TEMP_FILE -d ~/.theia/extensions/dart-code

Depending on exactly what you want to do there might be a little more to it though.