option to display parameter info tooltip in a separate pannel

[aviau]

Instead of displaying the parameter info tooltip next to cursor, I would like to have an option to display it in a separate panel, maybe a "documentation" panel next to Problems / Output / Debug Console / Terminal.

Some of us disable these tooltips because we find them annoying. However, we find them useful and it would be a good compromise to have them available somewhere.

This idea is from #33752 (comment)

[jrieken]

displaying the parameter info tooltip next to cursor

Just to clarify what you mean by 'parameter info tooltip'. Is that the hover, the intelli-sense window, or the suggest window? I'd assume the second, right?

[aviau]

I was refeferring to the following window:

[ivolucien]

I strongly support any configuration option that allows us to see the code we are editing while getting value from intellisense method / param suggestions.

1. first preference is for this doing any of the related suggestions that have been made to make text near the cursor visible, like this ticket
2. any user option to offset the window to the right and/or below the text cursor, ideally by persisting the user's drag positioning of the param hint window (will see if I should open a ticket for this suggestion)

[abnowack]

Like to add support, the Spyder python editor does what this issue explains better than any other editor currently. The docstrings for a function are displayed in a separate pane on key command (Ctrl+I) when typing at the end of the function or in the function call.

Additionally it renders docs beautifully using Sphinx, look at how clear this NumPy docstring is rendered! Scientists and engineers (my background) tend to love this setup.

Here's an example, with the NumPy docstring rendered on the top right pane. Even putting what intellisense currently does in a separate pane would be better than currently. The docstrings are very long and reading them in the tooltip is very awkward.

[ramya-rao-a]

This feature request is one of the options to solve the problems discussed in #33752 (comment).

@jrieken I would suggest to close this in favor of #33752
cc @joaomoreno

[jrieken]

/duplicate of #33752

[vscodebot]

Thanks for creating this issue! We figured it's covering the same as another one we already have. Thus, we closed this one as a duplicate. You can search for existing issues here. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!

[aviau]

@jrieken The issue you mention says create an option to position it at the top or the bottom. None of these solutions would work for me, I am asking for an option that would put the hints in a separate pannel. A panel that does not move and that isn't over any text.

[ramya-rao-a]

The issue you mention says create an option to position it at the top or the bottom. None of these solutions would work for me

@aviau Can you elaborate on why those options wouldnt work for you?

[aviau]

Can you elaborate on why those options wouldnt work for you?

I like to see all the text. Whether it is under my cursor or below my cursor, I want to be able to read it.

Also, displaying the information in another window would allow me to set the intellisense window to appear all the time, with no delay and no key to press. Disabling the delay or key shortcut would be extremely annoying if it appeared over the text. However, if it is in a separate pannel, it won't be bothering at all.

#51253 (comment) is a similar example.

[Friksel]

+1
I fully support the idea of @aviau . Those tooltips show great information I'd like to fully read and use a lot, but at the same time they are annoying, because they hide the code underneath which is obviously pretty important to see at the same time. The solution of @aviau solves this and everybody can even decide to open/close/size the panel! Only showing this in a small top or bottom part of the screen, like a statusbar, isn't enough to view all contents. It needs more space, so a panel is a great idea! Seems like a solution to a lot of problems!

[buggymcbugfix]

This would be very useful. I really dislike having to move my mouse pointer and wait for the popup to appear. More info and great screenshots in this issue: #57466.

[Fred-Vatin]

A bar/panel at the bottom of the editor that would appear with no delay could do the trick too.

But with the new flexible layout released in may 2020, a parameter info view that one can move everywhere would be nice too. Maybe a new activity being oriented towards code documentation that would implements the current parameter info tooltip as well as other documentation aggregator like DevDocs would be nice and complete.

I have a workaround to have access to this info tooltip without being annoyed by them. I explain it here #102198 because this highlighted another bug.

Here are other related issues more or less duplicate : #33752, #16221 (an awesome feature suggestion), #15667, #30797, #63144.

[mjbvz]

This can now be implemented by extensions. The Docs View extension for example (which requires VS Code 1.50+) adds a panel that shows the hover documentation in the sidebar or panel:

If anyone wants to help out, this issue tracks adding a second panel/view in that extension for signature help: mattbierner/vscode-docs-view#2