Read-only mode settings - glob pattern consistency

[gjsjohnmurray]

Type: Bug

Testing the new feature described in #4873 (comment) I found I needed this syntax in order to make files opened from node_modules open read-only:

	"files.readonlyInclude": {
		"**/node_modules/**": true
	}

Initially I had omitted the trailing /** because I based my entry on these models from defaultSettings.json, but that didn't work:

	"search.exclude": {
		"**/node_modules": true,
		"**/bower_components": true,
		"**/*.code-search": true
	},
	"explorer.autoRevealExclude": {
		"**/node_modules": true,
		"**/bower_components": true
	},

But I also found this in the same file, which uses a /*/** suffix:

	"files.watcherExclude": {
		"**/.git/objects/**": true,
		"**/.git/subtree-cache/**": true,
		"**/node_modules/*/**": true,
		"**/.hg/store/**": true
	},

I'd like to understand why these differences exist, and whether they are necessary.

VS Code version: Code - Insiders 1.79.0-insider (2575777, 2023-05-12T05:21:06.392Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.22621
Modes:
Sandboxed: Yes

[bpasero]

Thanks for testing!

They are: the files.exclude and search.exclude settings are special because they are applied during tree traversal for each folder they encounter (e.g. explorer).

In most other cases we do not have tree traversal and thus the pattern needs to apply on the full path.

[vscodenpa]

The described behavior is how it is expected to work. If you disagree, please explain what is expected and what is not in more detail. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!