Introduction

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to create a TerminalWrapper class in a Visual Studio Code (VSCode) extension. The TerminalWrapper facilitates executing system commands within the integrated terminal, making it useful for various extension scenarios.

The TerminalWrapper Class

Properties

1. executeResultFileName:
   • A string containing the name of the log file where command execution results will be recorded.
2. executeLogFileName:
   • A string containing the name of the log file where detailed information about command execution will be stored.
3. setEncodingUtf8:
   • A PowerShell command that sets the output encoding to UTF-8.

Constructor

The TerminalWrapper class is initialized with two parameters:

1. outputPathLog:
   • A string representing the output path for log files.
2. terminalName:
   • A string specifying the name of the terminal.

Methods

1. executeCommandWithoutLog:
   • This method executes a command in the specified terminal without logging the details.
   • It first checks if a terminal with the given name exists. If not, it creates a new one.
   • The method shows the terminal and sends the provided command to it.
   • After executing the command, it sends an exit command (; exit) to close the terminal.
   • The method returns a promise that resolves with the terminal’s exit status or rejects with an error message if the status is undefined.
2. executeCommand:
   • This method executes a command in the specified terminal.
   • If the terminal with the given name does not exist, it creates a new one.
   • The command is executed with the following steps:
   • $share = ${this.setEncodingUtf8} ${command} | Tee-Object -file ${this.executeLogFilePath};: The command is executed, and its output is logged to the executeLogFilePath.
   • if($?){'1' > ${this.executeResultFilePath}}else{'0' > ${this.executeResultFilePath}};: The result of the command execution (1 for success, 0 for failure) is recorded in the executeResultFilePath.
   • exit: The terminal is closed.
   • Handling Terminal Closure:
   • When the terminal is closed, the onDidCloseTerminal event is triggered.
   • The method reads the content of the executeResultFilePath.
   • If the terminal exit status is defined, it resolves the promise with true or false based on the read status.
   • If the terminal exit status is undefined, it rejects the promise with the message «Terminal exited with undefined status.»

Usage and Purpose

The TerminalWrapper class encapsulates terminal-related functionality, allowing VSCode extensions to execute commands seamlessly. It handles terminal creation, command execution, and exit status retrieval.

Links

1. VSCode Extension Marketplace: You can find the TerminalWrapper class in action by installing the my extension here.
2. GitHub Repository: The source code for the TerminalWrapper class is available on GitHub.