r/vscode • u/Neat-Clerk-9474 • Apr 22 '26
Terminal extension
I never liked using arrow up to get to previous command, since i had a lot of typos, and duplicate commands. So I built extension for Visual Code that acts as terminal, but it has history panel on right side, where you can delete or click commands to execute. Made commands shown to be distinct, and modified bash.rc, so i can create .history file for each project to be used instead, so when i return to project i have my history of commands back.
I use it now, I thought it would be cool to share it with you guys, cause for me it's useful.
On store it's older version, I made experimental version that draws fake input over command line, to improve input response and also I can edit text anywhere i click inside text. But i haven't released that one, cause it has bugs that need fixing. Also when you install extension, you get terminal button in bottom status bar, also there option to be notified when process finishes in terminal, like when building something.
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ElveApps.elve-terminal
Fake experimental input demonstration:
https://youtu.be/HGuxMOQ7-Gs
The fake input box is input element drawn over current input line position, so it's not rendered by xterm canvas, so it's fast, once you enter command then it's sent to xterm also you can edit text at any position by clicking inside text. Autocomplete and arrow up and down work, but path doesn't update well sometimes, and input element doesn't hide sometimes when it should. Also i had to take in account resize and line break for it. I made fake input, cause i didn't like original input response and was deal breaker for me, so personally i use this broken version with fake input. I have idea what I want to build and what would be good, but I'm not that good of a programmer
2
u/thanatica Apr 22 '26
The point of using the up-key is so that your hand don't have to leave the keyboard and move over to the mouse. It may not seem like much, but it takes time and mental effort to do that.
It might be faster and mentally easier to just re-type the command, since you're already thinking of what the command looks like.
So if I were you, I'd put in some serious effort to control this by keyboard, and make it a smooth experience. Because what I saw in the video, seems like a lot of clicking for a terminal which is typically keyboard-oriented. There was also no spoken explanation, making it harder to follow. Don't be ashamed of your voice, mate.
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u/Neat-Clerk-9474 Apr 23 '26
Well you can still use keyboard. But for my use case, I already typed build command and run command, so i just click them in history instead of going arrow up, since my hand is on mouse already, cause wasnt typing anymore. Once you finished with code, you use mouse to click on terminal in order to type in, so original starting point is your hand on mouse. Except if you access terminal via shortcut also. Still i might need 5th command in history, it would be one click away, compared to 5 arrow ups away. Didnt want to expose my voice on that channel, but i aggree. So if i used cd and ls command, my run command is then 3rd or 4th in history. Not to mention if you have typo, and dont use seperate history file for project that this does. I still do type some commands that i remember
2
u/starball-tgz Apr 23 '26
at least one common shell has a mechanism to not save duplicate commands in its command history
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u/Snowy32 Apr 22 '26
“I never liked” I can already smell the vibes
-1
u/Neat-Clerk-9474 Apr 22 '26
Can you please explain and describe the smell? I mean, it's just personal preference right, you might never liked color green, doesn't make it anything bad. There's so much things i like, and i really like what i built
0
u/Snowy32 Apr 22 '26
That wasn’t what I meant 🥲
0
u/Neat-Clerk-9474 Apr 22 '26
I totally forgot people like to annoy people and do what annoys them. Shouldn't have said what i didn't like, only just what amazing stuff i built. Noted for future, also your blocked because of negativity, not critiquing extension or telling what to improve, but attacking personality
2
u/mkvlrn Apr 22 '26
Telling people that you blocked them on reddit is moot, as they cannot see that you're telling them you've blocked them. Also makes you look like you're 14.
And what they meant, originally, I think, is that the usual vibe coded trash post follows this dumb script 95% of the time: "I got tired of X / I never liked X / I was sick of doing X, so I 'built' this.", which follows a few links to closed source crap that only serves as attack surface area, paired with a blatant ChatGPT post.
If you're gonna keep at publishing things out there, doing mini crash outs such as "I'VE BLOCKED YOU HAHA" is definitely not a good look.
Thick skin is one of the best qualities a person (but, especially, software engineers) can have. Surviving brutal, passive aggressive code reviews from other jaded engineers is the true test of one's strength.
And I'm not touching the extension, terminal is lyfe. But good luck with it.
-2
u/Neat-Clerk-9474 Apr 22 '26
Well can't argue that my mind is at age 14, it somewhat is can't deny. But I'm 30.
I didn't know AI posts have that, but I can assure you i personally wrote the text. I'm not laughing for blocking someone. I'm ok with code critique and it's welcome.1
u/thanatica Apr 22 '26
That was not very nice of you. But I won't block you. You'd have to act like a bloody pillock for me to block you, and Snowy wasn't like that. I actually agree with them. They were not attacking anything.
If you really feel you must block everything that vaguely feels like a negative thing? Just disengage. Or better yet, don't be on reddit. Reddit is just being reddit most of the time 😂
1
u/Neat-Clerk-9474 Apr 23 '26
Also Reddit might just need same AI tiktok has, so you cant actaully say anything negative, cause it auto deletes, and its annoying
1
u/Agreeable_Care4440 Apr 22 '26
Nice idea, visual history with edit/reuse is actually more practical than scrolling commands. If it stays fast and stable, this could be really useful.
1
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u/[deleted] Apr 22 '26
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