VS Code extension - get full path

Question

I am writing a plugin for VS Code and I need to know the path of the file which is calling the extension, either if it was called from the editor context menu or explorer context menu or the user simply typed the extension command.

function activate(context){
    // get full path of the file somehow
}

Thanks in advance!

So you want to know the currently active file once the extension is activated - just wanna make sure I understand the question correctly as this requirement would be somewhat unusual; instead one usually wants to know it when a specific command is run. — DAXaholic, Sep 25 '16 at 09:37

score 36 · Answer 1 · edited Feb 14 '21 at 18:01

36

If you need the File use uri.fsPath If you need the Workspace Folder use uri.path

if(vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders !== undefined) {
    let wf = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri.path ;
    let f = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri.fsPath ; 

    message = `YOUR-EXTENSION: folder: ${wf} - ${f}` ;

    vscode.window.showInformationMessage(message);
} 
else {
    message = "YOUR-EXTENSION: Working folder not found, open a folder an try again" ;

    vscode.window.showErrorMessage(message);
}

More detail can get from VS Code API

edited Feb 14 '21 at 18:01

Mauricio Gracia Gutierrez

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answered Dec 25 '18 at 06:17

Bingoabs

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rootPath is deprecated. I think you can get path using: vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri.fsPath – bkelley Sep 25 '19 at 18:11
When I tried this, workspaceFolders[0] always returned the first folder in the list, not necessarily the currently opened one. – thehamzarocks Jan 07 '23 at 19:45

score 21 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 19 '19 at 07:51

21

You can invoke the vscode window property to retrieve the file path or name depending on what you are looking for. This will give you the name of the file open in the current Tab when you execute the command. I don't know how it works if called from the explorer context.

var vscode = require("vscode");
var path = require("path");
function activate(context) {
   var currentlyOpenTabfilePath = vscode.window.activeTextEditor.document.fileName;
   var currentlyOpenTabfileName = path.basename(currentlyOpenTabfilePath);
   //...
}

edited Jun 19 '19 at 07:51

Federico

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answered Mar 06 '17 at 23:25

Mehdi

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Please note that `fileName` for a new, untitled buffer is simply untitled, so don't assume that it'll contain a proper path... – wildeyes Apr 18 '17 at 11:35
1

Also, this only seems to apply to text editors, not e.g. image viewers. – JW. Dec 14 '18 at 21:52

score 7 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 20 '20 at 16:21

7

import * as vscode from "vscode";
import * as fs from "fs";   

var currentlyOpenTabfilePath = vscode.window.activeTextEditor?.document.uri.fsPath;

The above code is used to find the the path of file that is currently activated on vscode.

vscode.window.activeTextEditor gets editor's reference and document.uri.fsPath returns the path to that file in string format

edited Apr 20 '20 at 16:21

matthias_h

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answered Apr 10 '20 at 15:10

Faisal Iqbal

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score 6 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 04 '21 at 03:40

Here are examples of various paths returned by vscode in windows:

Extension path:

vscode.extensions.getExtension('extension.id').extensionUri.path
> /c:/Users/name/GitHub/extensionFolder 
vscode.extensions.getExtension('extension.id').extensionUri.fsPath
> c:\Users\name\GitHub\extensionFolder

Current folder:

vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri.path
> /c:/Users/name/Documents/Notes 
vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri.fsPath
> c:\Users\name\Documents\Notes

Current editor file:

vscode.window.activeTextEditor.document.uri.path
> /c:/Users/name/Documents/Notes/temp.md 
vscode.window.activeTextEditor.document.uri.fsPath
> c:\Users\name\Documents\Notes\temp.md

Note that path and fsPath refer to the same folder. fsPath provides the path in the form appropriate for the os.

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 21 '23 at 06:20

If you need the path to the current extension, use context object. This will work both in debug mode and production mode:

export async function activate(context: ExtensionContext) {
  console.log(context.extension);
  console.log(context.extensionPath);
  console.log(context.extensionUri);
}

If you are going to call another extension:

extensions.getExtension('extensionId');

In debug mode, this returns undefined for current extension since it is not installed.

VS Code extension - get full path

5 Answers5

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