"Clear All Output" is greyed out and doesn't clear execution count unless output is available

[MarcBarlett]

Applies To

• Notebooks (.ipynb files)
• Interactive Window and/or Cell Scripts (.py files with #%% markers)

What happened?

Create a new cell in an *.ipynb.
run an import statement, the execution count increments.
expected that this execution statement could be cleared with the "Clear All Outputs" button it cannot.

add a print statement to the cell and run.
The "Clear All Outputs" is now available and can be used to clear the execution count as well as outputs.

"Clear All Outputs" should be available to clear execution counts even if none of the cells have printed outputs.

VS Code Version

1.86.2

Jupyter Extension Version

2024.1.1

Jupyter logs

No response

Coding Language and Runtime Version

Python v 3.10.10

Language Extension Version (if applicable)

No response

Anaconda Version (if applicable)

No response

Running Jupyter locally or remotely?

None

[ScottBoyce]

Same effect for me with

VS Code Version
1.89.1

Jupyter Extension Version
2024.4.0

Coding Language and Runtime Version
Python v 3.12.2

[bernard-123lb]

Source Control

Just in case this was not immediately obvious to someone, "execution_count": 1 is problematic for source control. We want to nullify/clear all outputs before committing to reduce merge conflicts. So I have to manually nullify those before committing directly in the json file. I noticed that commits from users of the original Jupyter IDE seems to always have nullified execution_count as expected.

[chrispy-snps]

We are also running into this in v1.94.2. And as @bernard-123lb says, the merge conflict aspect is particularly problematic.

[DonJayamanne]

@ejfdickinson @drush0 I've re-opened the issue microsoft/vscode-jupyter#16052
& will be fixing that.

[DonJayamanne]

TEMPORARY SOLUTION/WORK AROUND

Please use the command Notebook: Clear Cell Outputs
I understand this doesn't fix the problem with the icon not being enabled, hence temporar work around

[DonJayamanne]

@gsverhoeven Thanks for reporting this, I've created an issue for what you've identified here #237299

[kelvinou01]

Thanks for investigating a workaround @gsverhoeven, and @DonJayamanne for working on the fix.

This bug makes working with version control a pain, so I'm looking forward to this being resolved!