Introduction of unwanted changes to launch.json

[bersbersbers]

Installation/use of https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=vscjava.vscode-java-pack reformats the launch.json file when adding its launch configs, thereby removing trailing commas (no big deal) and comments (BIG DEAL). I cannot say for sure when it happened, but it was around installation and short running/debugging a hello-world-example in Java. If people don't have their latest changes to comments in launch.json committed to version control, they are lost.

Environment:

• VS Code Version: 1.52.1
• Extension Version: 0.12.1
• JDK Type & Version: irrelevant, I think
• OS Type & Version: Linux

Step to Reproduce:

• Work in a workspace with a launch.json having comments
• Install extension

Expected Behavior:

• Comments remain in launch.json

Actual Behavior:

• Comments are removed from launch.json

[akaroml]

@bersbersbers to help us investigate, would you please provide more info on the actual contents that are added to the launch.json file. With that we'll be able to identify the actual extension that is causing the problem.

[bersbersbers]

Today, I was able to repro this by selecting

and choosing Java - hope this helps:

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "java",
            "name": "Launch Current File",
            "request": "launch",
            "mainClass": "${file}"
        }
    ]
}

[testforstephen]

Created an issue at VS Code to track it since our debugger extension is reusing VS Code API to read and update launch.json.
microsoft/vscode#119439

[bersbersbers]

Thanks! I have to admit that when I tested briefly this morning, I only verified that a launch config is added that way - but in fact, the comments from launch.json are not removed. I cannot say whether that is due to improvements to VS Code between 1.52.1 and 1.54.3, or due to a different mechanism responsible for what I observed in January.

[bersbersbers]

microsoft/vscode#110295 has repro steps, also showing why #537 (comment) does not repro the issue.

Follow microsoft/vscode#29453 for progress, Thanks!