Issues with/suggestions for nrfconnect for vscode, where do I report?

[ErikLundh]

I have a few issues/suggestions for improvement of the VSCode extension for Nrf Connect, that I like to submit to the developers :
I tried the github link https://github.com/nrfconnect/vscode-nrf-connect that is still listed at https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=nordic-semiconductor.nrf-connect-extension-pack
But that github projects has been turned private or moved.
1. I have an issue with my standard VSCode environment that makes the extension unsuable with error 401 on all pages.

I solved the 401 issue temporarily by installing a separate copy of VSCode (VScode Insiders - which sets up a parallel VSCode environment) 

2. Make all identical or conflicting tasks "Singeltons" which means make it impossible to trigger more than one of identical or conflicting tasks.

It is just a matter of keeping tabs of the command lines you issue and make sure that not more than one copy can be started at the same time  

I have a hard time avoiding clicking more than once of the Flash button in the environment. All the action buttons can trigger more than one run, eg builds, which is fine if I want to trigger two different builds. 

But in the case of flash when I accidentically doubleclick Flash (a normal click action in many other environments) I get lockups that sometimes put the J-link DLL in a strange state where I can't successfully flash my target without rebooting my Windows 10 development machine and start up VSCode again. Just restarting VSCode does not help, the multiple flashes seems to affect the J-Link DLL

3. I suggest that the install process for nrfconnect for VSCode take advantage of the new features with different settings profiles in VSCode 1.71 onward

VSCode can now be set up with different profiles with completely different sets of extensions. These different profiles can be chosen from both a meny inside VSCode, and at the commandline when startup up VSCode. Many embedded developers need to run more than one tool chain. nrfconnect for VSCode conflicts with plugins needed by other toolchains, like CMake.

The VSCode team at Microsoft has demonstrated that it is possible to run different toolchains, sets of extensions and settings, in different instances of the same VSCode install on the same machine. 

[Marte Myrvold]

Hi,

You can use "Give feedback" under the Welcome tab in VS Code:

You can also give feedback here on DevZone and we will forward it to the development team. Also, if you need any support or want to receive a response then you should use DevZone.

I have forwarded the feedback you provided here.

Best regards,

Marte

[Marte Myrvold]

Hi,

The developers have not seen the 401 issue before. It could be some corruption in the VS Code installation since the separate insiders installation works. There is nothing the extension can do to provoke this.

They have gotten some requests about duplicate task prevention before, so this is already on their radar and they are looking into it.

The developers will look into profiles. However, you already have different sets of extensions available for workspaces, so you can enable/disable every installed extension per workspace instead of using profiles. 

Kind of related: since you mentioned the CMake extension in particular - the extension conflict comes from the issue reported here, which is currently being worked on by Microsoft. Hopefully, once Microsoft has resolved that our extension can stop marking CMake as a conflict.

Best regards,

Marte

[ErikLundh]

Hi Marte,

Thank you for your answers.

'Giving feedback', unlike issues on Github, does not seem to give me the same kind of clues to whether my problem is unique or observed by others. I understand there is a cultural clash between the old compartmentalized world of electronics, where the discovery of shortcomings are traditionally protected by NDAs - making it very difficult to ship quality products for anyone with limited resources, and todays modern 'many eyeballs working together' paradigm.

It is a C-level strategic issue whether you want to look modern and transparent - or not, and there is a back and forth regarding openess among most hardware-related companies.

One might hope, at least in this case with a change from Github to keeping users feedback isolated in"Give feedback" channels, that it is not a mid-management 'make my department look better by being less transparent' issue. I have encountered many clueless mid-level pointy-haired bosses hiding behind NDAs and company confidentiality, while their engineers suffered, during a past era when Sweden was supposed to be a 'mobile technology wonderland'.

I will look into the causes of the 401 error, since I have a parallell VScode Insider nrfconnect install that works fine.

Hopefully I will be able to compare the environments and find a root cause. 

However I am currently working hard to finish my first nrf9160 project. I will investigate 401 in my VS Code install once I have my nrf9160 firmware flashed on my own designed nrf9160 board. The feature complete firmware is currently is up and running on nrf9160dk. To be able to run nrfconnect on VSCode Insiders saved me. 

Best regards,

Erik