qrti / padsel

Column Helper for vsCode

padSel

Column Helper for vsCode

Because vsCodes lack of a real column edit function some typework is needed to pretty up comments
This easy to adapt Python script may save some time

• install multi-command and command-runner extensions in vsCode
• add extension settings to settings.json and adapt paths for your system
  optionally bind a key to invoke the script in keybindings.json
• Python has to be installed on your system

• select some code lines, be careful to select complete lines
• the line in the selection with the right most comment is used as position template
  if no existing comments are found a default position is used
  already commented or longer lines are ignored
• press your binded key or run multiCommand.padSel (with command palette)
• the selection will be processed and replaced

• see script for adding programming languages
• for debugging and error messages change in settings.json
  "command-runner.terminal.autoFocus": true
• if terminal.autoFocus is true or on slow machines try
  "interval": 500
• adapt paths to python interpreter and script for your system
  "padSel": "..\\python.exe ..\\padSel.py ${fileExtname}"

settings.json

{
    "multiCommand.commands": [
        {
            "command": "multiCommand.padSel",
            "interval": 250,                                    // higher for slow machines
            "sequence": [
                "editor.action.clipboardCopyAction",
                {
                    "command": "command-runner.run",
                    "args": {
                        "command": "padSel"
                    }
                },
                "workbench.action.focusActiveEditorGroup",
                "editor.action.clipboardPasteAction"
            ]
        }
    ],

    "command-runner.terminal.name": "runCommand",
    "command-runner.terminal.autoClear": true,
    "command-runner.terminal.autoFocus": false,                 // if true, interval in multiCommand may be higher
    "command-runner.commands": {
        "padSel": "..\\python.exe ..\\padSel.py ${fileExtname}" // adapt your paths to python.exe and padSel.py
    }
}

keybindings.json

optional

[
    {
        "key": "ctrl+alt+p",
        "command": "multiCommand.padSel",
        "when": "editorTextFocus"
    }
]

prerequisites

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ryuta46.multi-command
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=edonet.vscode-command-runner
https://www.python.org/

V0.5 220711

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contact

[email protected]