Add support for URL vscode://gitclone/<path> to do a git clone of the specified repository and open it

[StanislawStempin]

I would like to be able to achieve the following scenario using URL handlers for VS Code, giving a quick start for any new developers interested in developing using my extension. This issue is about step 2:

//1. Install VS Code - https://code.visualstudio.com/download
2. Clone a git hub repository with sample source code - vscode://gitclone/https/github.com/Microsoft/AL/
//3. Install extension - vscode://extension/microsoft.al

Step 3 seems to be supported but doesn't work - see #20289

[joaomoreno]

Good idea!

[jordanmkasla2009]

This idea could be normalized to something like
vscode:git/clone?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2FMicrosoft%2FAL%2F&outPath=path%2Fto%2Fproject
though the url encoding might not be necessary.

or even some sort of API for extensions to hook into the URLService something along the lines of vscode:extension-short-name/command?query=params

[hoovercj]

@joaomoreno How could I even begin to experiment with solutions for this?

As a very basic experiement, I tried to add an additional handler in extensionsWorkbenchService, but nothing gets to the debug version of code. If I click on a link such as <a href=the "vscode:git/clone?url" I never hit debug points (even in the exisitng extension protocol handler with a link that should work) and nothing happens. I assume this is because the actual vscode installation receives the URL, not vscode window that I'm running from source.

What do you or the tema do to the test this/what did you do while developing it?

Thanks!

[joaomoreno]

Correct @hoovercj. Here's the only handler.

This is now much harder... since Git is an extension. So, needs thought.

[Thaina]

@joaomoreno I think we could generalized this by allowing url vscode://extensions/extension.id/SomeThing can pass the relative path to extension endpoint. And each extension could write a handler to do custom work

vscode://extensions/git/clone?url=githubURL

git extension would get "/clone?url=githubURL" to some endpoint

And if that extension was not installed then it would fallback to vscode://extensions/extension.id

[Thaina]

Seem like general protocol handler supported #46256

https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_23#_protocol-handler-api

Just make it work in git extension then?

[hoovercj]

@StanislawStempin does the new git clone uri support meet your needs?

[StanislawStempin]

Perfect! That covers it