Feature request: Server initiated "window/showTextDocument" notification

[rasika]

I would like to request a feature which is a server-initiated notification window/showTextDocument to open and/or show text document with a given Location.

Propose Change

• a new method: 'window/showTextDocument'
• params: Location defined as follows:

interface Location {
	uri: DocumentUri;
	range: Range;
}

Why?
This is beneficial when text files are generated by the Server and wants clients to open / show the text document(optionally to focus specific position) in cases such as test files generation, stubs generation.

I am already aware of the CreateFile and CreateFileOptions still it won't allow to focus on specific position for a Server initiated notification(please correct me if I am wrong here).

WDYT?

[dbaeumer]

Makes sense to me. @rasika would you be will on working on a PR for this. I can assist and there is a guideline on how to do this: https://github.com/Microsoft/language-server-protocol/blob/master/contributing.md

I would make it a request to be able to return an indication if the opening was successful or failed.

[rasika]

@dbaeumer Thanks for the info. Sure, I'll proceed with the PR.

[dbaeumer]

@rasika just to clarify. We need a PR here and in https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-languageserver-node since at least one implementation is necessary as well.

[rcjsuen]

Would it make sense to send an array so that you can open multiple files or just send multiple requests?

[dbaeumer]

I am fine sending an array.

[rasika]

@rcjsuen +1 for the array. Will implement accordingly.

[matklad]

I am personally not a huge fan of serve-initiated requests to change the state of the client, because they break the causality: you can't reliably infer what was the cause of the request.

I'd rather we add an ability to focus specific document when applying edits. @rasika would it work for your if WorkspaceEdit had a focus array which described documents and locations editor should reveal after applying the edit?

@dbaeumer I would also appreciate an ability to focus a specific position after a document edit, and a specific document after workspace edit. In my rust-server, I use a bespoke implementation of edits to have this feature. I need it in two cases:

• I have "create module" quick fix, which creates a new file, which better be focused
• SIngle-file code actions would like to move cursor to a specific position in the newly generated code.

[dbaeumer]

@matklad I would suggest to track this in another issue.

@rasika Could we make this a request instead of a notification. The open for example could fail for some reason.

[rasika]

@dbaeumer sorry couldn't track this thread after the vacation. Apparently can implement as a Request. Will start working on it today.

[matklad]

@rasika could you clarify if you need a completely separate request to show arbitrary text document, or if you have a more specific requirement of "open a text document after creating it using CreateFile resource operation"?