Aspire panel improvements, rename building apphost -> connecting to apphost in extension run, add off setting to enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch

extension/README.md

@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ You can configure the extension under **Settings → Aspire**, or jump there wit
 |---------|---------|-------------|
 | `aspire.aspireCliExecutablePath` | `""` | Path to the Aspire CLI. Leave empty to use `aspire` from PATH. |
 | `aspire.dashboardBrowser` | `openExternalBrowser` | Which browser to open the dashboard in — system default, or Chrome/Edge/Firefox as a debug session |
-| `aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch` | `true` | Open the dashboard automatically when you start debugging |
+| `aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch` | `launch` | Controls what happens with the dashboard when debugging starts: `launch` (auto-open), `notification` (show link), or `off` |
 | `aspire.registerMcpServerInWorkspace` | `false` | Register the Aspire MCP server (see [below](#mcp-server-integration)) |
 
 There are more settings for things like verbose logging, startup prompts, and polling intervals — run **Aspire: Extension settings** from the Command Palette to see them all.

extension/package.json

@@ -470,9 +470,15 @@
           "scope": "window"
         },
         "aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch": {
-          "type": "boolean",
-          "default": true,
+          "type": "string",
+          "enum": ["launch", "notification", "off"],
+          "default": "launch",
           "description": "%configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch%",
+          "enumDescriptions": [
+            "%configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch.launch%",
+            "%configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch.notification%",
+            "%configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch.off%"
+          ],
           "scope": "window"
         },
         "aspire.dashboardBrowser": {

extension/package.nls.json

@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@
   "configuration.aspire.aspireCliExecutablePath": "The path to the Aspire CLI executable. If not set, the extension will attempt to use 'aspire' from the system PATH.",
   "configuration.aspire.enableAspireCliDebugLogging": "Enable console debug logging for Aspire CLI commands executed by the extension.",
   "configuration.aspire.enableAspireDcpDebugLogging": "Enable Developer Control Plane (DCP) debug logging for Aspire applications. Logs will be stored in the workspace's .aspire/dcp/logs-{debugSessionId} folder.",
-  "configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch": "Enable automatic launch of the Aspire Dashboard when using the Aspire debugger.",
+  "configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch": "Controls what happens with the Aspire Dashboard when debugging starts.",
+  "configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch.launch": "Automatically open the dashboard in the browser.",
+  "configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch.notification": "Show a notification with a link to open the dashboard.",
+  "configuration.aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch.off": "Do nothing — the dashboard URL is still printed in the terminal.",
   "configuration.aspire.dashboardBrowser": "The browser to use when auto-launching the Aspire Dashboard.",
   "configuration.aspire.dashboardBrowser.openExternalBrowser": "Use the system default browser (cannot auto-close).",
   "configuration.aspire.dashboardBrowser.debugChrome": "Launch Chrome as a debug session (auto-closes when debugging ends).",

extension/src/loc/strings.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const codespacesUrl = (url: string) => vscode.l10n.t('Codespaces: {0}', u
 export const directLink = vscode.l10n.t('Open local URL');
 export const codespacesLink = vscode.l10n.t('Open codespaces URL');
 export const openAspireDashboard = vscode.l10n.t('Launch Aspire Dashboard');
+export const settingsLabel = vscode.l10n.t('Settings');
 export const aspireDashboard = vscode.l10n.t('Aspire Dashboard');
 export const noWorkspaceOpen = vscode.l10n.t('No workspace is open. Please open a folder or workspace before running this command.');
 export const failedToShowPromptEmpty = vscode.l10n.t('Failed to show prompt, text was empty.');

extension/src/server/interactionService.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { MessageConnection } from 'vscode-jsonrpc';
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
 import * as fs from 'fs/promises';
 import { getRelativePathToWorkspace, isFolderOpenInWorkspace } from '../utils/workspace';
-import { yesLabel, noLabel, directLink, codespacesLink, openAspireDashboard, failedToShowPromptEmpty, incompatibleAppHostError, aspireHostingSdkVersion, aspireCliVersion, requiredCapability, fieldRequired, aspireDebugSessionNotInitialized, errorMessage, failedToStartDebugSession, dashboard, codespaces, selectDirectoryTitle, selectFileTitle } from '../loc/strings';
+import { yesLabel, noLabel, directLink, codespacesLink, openAspireDashboard, settingsLabel, failedToShowPromptEmpty, incompatibleAppHostError, aspireHostingSdkVersion, aspireCliVersion, requiredCapability, fieldRequired, aspireDebugSessionNotInitialized, errorMessage, failedToStartDebugSession, dashboard, codespaces, selectDirectoryTitle, selectFileTitle } from '../loc/strings';
 import { ICliRpcClient } from './rpcClient';
 import { ProgressNotifier } from './progressNotifier';
 import { applyTextStyle, formatText } from '../utils/strings';
@@ -334,11 +334,27 @@ export class InteractionService implements IInteractionService {
             this.writeDebugSessionMessage(codespacesUrl, true, AnsiColors.Blue);
         }
 
-        //  If aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch is true, the dashboard will be launched automatically and we do not need
-        // to show an information message.
+        // Refresh the Aspire panel so it picks up dashboard URLs for the running app host
+        vscode.commands.executeCommand('aspire-vscode.refreshRunningAppHosts');
+
+        //  If aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch is 'launch', the dashboard will be launched automatically.
+        //  If 'notification', a notification is shown with a link. If 'off', do nothing.
         const aspireConfig = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('aspire');
-        const enableDashboardAutoLaunch = aspireConfig.get<boolean>('enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch', true);
-        if (enableDashboardAutoLaunch) {
+        const rawDashboardAutoLaunch = aspireConfig.get<unknown>('enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch', 'launch');
+
+        // Handle legacy boolean values from before this setting was changed to an enum
+        let dashboardAutoLaunch: 'launch' | 'notification' | 'off';
+        if (rawDashboardAutoLaunch === true) {
+            dashboardAutoLaunch = 'launch';
+        } else if (rawDashboardAutoLaunch === false) {
+            dashboardAutoLaunch = 'notification';
+        } else if (rawDashboardAutoLaunch === 'launch' || rawDashboardAutoLaunch === 'notification' || rawDashboardAutoLaunch === 'off') {
+            dashboardAutoLaunch = rawDashboardAutoLaunch;
+        } else {
+            dashboardAutoLaunch = 'launch';
+        }
+
+        if (dashboardAutoLaunch === 'launch') {
             // Open the dashboard URL in the configured browser. Prefer codespaces URL if available.
             const urlToOpen = codespacesUrl || baseUrl;
             const debugSession = this._getAspireDebugSession();
@@ -349,6 +365,10 @@ export class InteractionService implements IInteractionService {
             return;
         }
 
+        if (dashboardAutoLaunch === 'off') {
+            return;
+        }
+
         const actions: vscode.MessageItem[] = [
             { title: directLink }
         ];
@@ -357,6 +377,8 @@ export class InteractionService implements IInteractionService {
             actions.push({ title: codespacesLink });
         }
 
+        actions.push({ title: settingsLabel });
+
         // Delay 1 second to allow a slight pause between progress notification and message
         setTimeout(() => {
             // Don't await - fire and forget to avoid blocking
@@ -376,6 +398,9 @@ export class InteractionService implements IInteractionService {
                 else if (selected.title === codespacesLink && codespacesUrl) {
                     vscode.env.openExternal(vscode.Uri.parse(codespacesUrl));
                 }
+                else if (selected.title === settingsLabel) {
+                    vscode.commands.executeCommand('workbench.action.openSettings', 'aspire.enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch');
+                }
             });
         }, 1000);
     }

extension/src/test/appHostTreeView.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { getResourceContextValue, getResourceIcon } from '../views/AspireAppHost
 import type { ResourceJson } from '../views/AppHostDataRepository';
 
 function makeResource(overrides: Partial<ResourceJson> = {}): ResourceJson {
-    return {
+    const base: ResourceJson = {
         name: 'my-service',
         displayName: null,
         resourceType: 'Project',
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ function makeResource(overrides: Partial<ResourceJson> = {}): ResourceJson {
         dashboardUrl: null,
         urls: null,
         commands: null,
-        ...overrides,
+        properties: null,
     };
+    return { ...base, ...overrides } as ResourceJson;
 }
 
 suite('shortenPath', () => {
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ suite('getResourceContextValue', () => {
         }));
         assert.strictEqual(result, 'resource:canRestart');
     });
+
 });
 
 suite('getResourceIcon', () => {

extension/src/test/rpc/interactionServiceTests.test.ts

@@ -189,11 +189,11 @@ suite('InteractionService endpoints', () => {
 		stub.restore();
 	});
 
-	test("displayDashboardUrls writes URLs to output channel and shows info message when autoLaunch disabled", async () => {
+	test("displayDashboardUrls writes URLs to output channel and shows info message when autoLaunch is notification", async () => {
 		const stub = sinon.stub(extensionLogOutputChannel, 'info');
 		const showInformationMessageStub = sinon.stub(vscode.window, 'showInformationMessage').resolves();
 		const getConfigurationStub = sinon.stub(vscode.workspace, 'getConfiguration').returns({
-			get: (key: string, defaultValue?: any) => key === 'enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch' ? false : defaultValue
+			get: (key: string, defaultValue?: any) => key === 'enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch' ? 'notification' : defaultValue
 		} as any);
 		const testInfo = await createTestRpcServer();
 
@@ -212,17 +212,17 @@ suite('InteractionService endpoints', () => {
 
 		assert.ok(outputLines.some(line => line.includes(baseUrl)), 'Output should contain base URL');
 		assert.ok(outputLines.some(line => line.includes(codespacesUrl)), 'Output should contain codespaces URL');
-		assert.equal(showInformationMessageStub.callCount, 1, 'Should show info message when autoLaunch is disabled');
+		assert.equal(showInformationMessageStub.callCount, 1, 'Should show info message when autoLaunch is notification');
 		stub.restore();
 		showInformationMessageStub.restore();
 		getConfigurationStub.restore();
 	});
 
-	test("displayDashboardUrls writes URLs but does not show info message when autoLaunch enabled", async () => {
+	test("displayDashboardUrls writes URLs but does not show info message when autoLaunch is launch", async () => {
 		const stub = sinon.stub(extensionLogOutputChannel, 'info');
 		const showInformationMessageStub = sinon.stub(vscode.window, 'showInformationMessage').resolves();
 		const getConfigurationStub = sinon.stub(vscode.workspace, 'getConfiguration').returns({
-			get: (key: string, defaultValue?: any) => key === 'enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch' ? true : defaultValue
+			get: (key: string, defaultValue?: any) => key === 'enableAspireDashboardAutoLaunch' ? 'launch' : defaultValue
 		} as any);
 		const testInfo = await createTestRpcServer();
 
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ suite('InteractionService endpoints', () => {
 		// No need to wait since no setTimeout should be called when autoLaunch is enabled
 		assert.ok(outputLines.some(line => line.includes(baseUrl)), 'Output should contain base URL');
 		assert.ok(outputLines.some(line => line.includes(codespacesUrl)), 'Output should contain codespaces URL');
-		assert.equal(showInformationMessageStub.callCount, 0, 'Should not show info message when autoLaunch is enabled');
+		assert.equal(showInformationMessageStub.callCount, 0, 'Should not show info message when autoLaunch is launch');
 		stub.restore();
 		showInformationMessageStub.restore();
 		getConfigurationStub.restore();

extension/src/views/AppHostDataRepository.ts

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export interface ResourceJson {
     dashboardUrl: string | null;
     urls: ResourceUrlJson[] | null;
     commands: Record<string, ResourceCommandJson> | null;
+    properties: Record<string, string | null> | null;
 }
 
 export interface AppHostDisplayInfo {
@@ -64,7 +65,6 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
     private _describeRestarting = false;
     private _describeRestartDelay = 5000;
     private _describeRestartTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
-    private static readonly _maxDescribeRestartDelay = 60000;
 
     // ── Global mode state (ps polling) ──
     private _appHosts: AppHostDisplayInfo[] = [];
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ export class AppHostDataRepository {
 
                         // Auto-restart with exponential backoff
                         const delay = this._describeRestartDelay;
-                        this._describeRestartDelay = Math.min(this._describeRestartDelay * 2, AppHostDataRepository._maxDescribeRestartDelay);
+                        this._describeRestartDelay = Math.min(this._describeRestartDelay * 2, this._getPollingIntervalMs());
                         extensionLogOutputChannel.info(`Restarting describe --follow in ${delay}ms`);
                         this._describeRestartTimer = setTimeout(() => {
                             this._describeRestartTimer = undefined;