[Bugs] Issues in new json settings editor

[lonix1]

Environment

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes

• VS Code Version: 1.59.1
• OS Version: ubuntu 20.04

Bug 1: nodes do not maintain collapsed/expanded state

1. open json settings
2. collapse or expand some nodes
3. go to other tab
4. go back to json tab - all nodes are expanded

It is inconvenient spending time finding a setting, switching away to refer to something, then switch back and losing your place because all the nodes are once again expanded.

Bug 2: nodes are not sorted

1. open json settings
2. nodes are shown in random order

It is inconvenient having nodes in random order - it's already hard to find settings. So for example, the "files" node should come before the "window" node.

Bug 3: first node is now redundant

1. open json settings
2. the first node is the remnant of the old json settings editor's "most recent" feature

The first node has no value anymore, and since it's not labelled as such, it gets confusing because there are double nodes for everything in that list, which show up in searches.

Justification for fixing these bugs

Those bugs have been around for a long time, but we managed. However now that the json settings editor was removed ([1], [2]), please at least meet us halfway and address them.

Without the advanced features of the old json settings editor, these bugs make the experience time consuming and frustrating.

[vscodebot]

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Thanks for submitting this issue. Please also check if it is already covered by an existing one, like:

• Commands executed via menu/contextmenu do not report error as notification (#59500)

[roblourens]

Sorry, it's not clear which nodes you are talking about since you said "open json settings", maybe you can include a screenshot just to make sure I understand. Are you looking at the GUI editor?

[lonix1]

Not the GUI editor but rather the new text-based editor (the side-by-side raw json view):

• ctrl + , to open user settings
• or .vscode/settings.json to open workspace settings

That shows a side-by-side view of two json trees - defaults in the left view and my customizations in the right view. The issues mentioned above are evident in the left view.

[roblourens]

Got it. If I fold a region of code, it stays folded when I switch tabs and switch back. Maybe you are closing the editor?

The comment about sort order is fair, it is indeed arbitrary. I would like to keep the "Commonly used" section since I think it makes the most common settings easier to discover.

[lonix1]

Folding: works for me too, now... Weird wasn't working before.

Commonly used: I assumed it wasn't actually doing anything, didn't realize it was still operational.

[roblourens]

It's just a hardcoded list of popular settings. Maybe we can sort the groups in a better way though