tasks "taskName" is deprecated, should be "label"

[chrisdias]

the docs for tasks refer to a property called taskName that doesn't exist in IntelliSense:

for example, here: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/tasks#_custom-tasks

it looks like taskName should be renamed identifier in the docs.

[gregvanl]

@chrisdias The default Other task template will fill in the taskName and I see taskName in IntelliSense on both 1.16.1 and Insiders.

[chrisdias]

//cc @dbaeumer

i don't see this on 1.16 nor in today's insiders. This is what I see in Stable (1.16.1 27492b6):

[gregvanl]

I mispoke above, I meant 1.16.1 (updated comment).

[chrisdias]

How are you invoking the completion list?

[gregvanl]

Ctrl+space (on Windows). I also see IntelliSense for taskName when I start typing "ta".

[chrisdias]

hmmm... with the object empty, press CTRL+Space, get this:

Now, put in quotes:

Note, type is not in completion list.

put in type, no error and no completion for it:

CTRL+Space after the :

open quotes, press CTRL+Space:

Now i get a taskName:

Change type to npm and I no longer see taskName:

[chrisdias]

perhaps npm is a contributed task configuration which doesn't support taskName.

[chrisdias]

a clue...

I uninstalled my npm extension and no different. however, I tried to put in tasnName manually and see this...

[chrisdias]

ok, now i see what is going on. type defines the task type, and then what the other valid settings are. So for "type": "shell" you need to have a taskName and a command:

The Tasks Output pane gives you a "live" validation session. Here its telling me that I need to have a command or dependsOn property as well:

So I think the docs still can be clarified... the way they read right now every task has a taskName, etc. when it is scoped to the type.

[dbaeumer]

Yes, the shape of a task depends type attribute. For contributed task (e.g. gulp, grunt, npm, ...) the attribute to control the UI is label since taskName was too confusing. It might be mistaken for the name of the gulp task :-)

I have an item to clean this up. E.g. to consistently use label. See microsoft/vscode#29852

[thecriticalpoint]

I am still so confused. The task.json documentation is written by people for people that already know how to use it. In 2021 I'm still not sure where the best resource and example guide is that I can count on being up to date. Yes, I've been googling. No, my frustration is not at you. The barriers to entry just keep stacking up.