Feasibility study: Can we use 'runCommands' command to implement our macro playback?

[tshino]

In VS Code 1.77, a new command runCommands has been introduced.
microsoft/vscode#871 (comment)

As far as I know, this command is the first official support for the functionality to execute multiple commands sequentially.

That command may be able to be used to implement our macro playback command in a much simpler and more reliable way and may remove the need for the troublesome await parameters.

I want to know especially:

• whether it works correctly with commands that didn't work correctly by our playback command without await options
• whether it can be used recursively, or safely it can detect accidental recursion.

[tshino]

Experiment 1: Can it run extension commands synchronously?

    {
        "key": "ctrl+p",
        "command": "runCommands",
        "args": {
            "commands": [
                {
                    "command": "type",
                    "args": {
                        "text": "begin!\n"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "command": "kb-macro.playback"
                },
                {
                    "command": "type",
                    "args": {
                        "text": "end!\n"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    },

Result: Yes (as far as I tested)

I tested this command sequence with some recorded macro, and it runs expectedly.

[tshino]

Experiment 2: Can it run runCommands itself as a part of a sequence?

    {
        "key": "ctrl+p",
        "command": "runCommands",
        "args": {
            "commands": [
                {
                    "command": "runCommands",
                    "args": {
                        "commands": [
                            { "command": "editor.action.addCommentLine" }
                        ]
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    },

Result: Yes (as far as I tested)

Above sequence runs expectedly.

[tshino]

Experiment 3: Does it handle keyboard autorepeat?

Result: No.

Using the sequence from experiment 1, with some long macro, long pressing ctrl+p gives a broken result.
It also happens even when you hit the key multiple times quickly.

Example result (single press):

begin!
std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
end!

Example result (long press):

begin!
std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
end!
begin!
std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
end!
begin!
std::cout << "Hello, world!" << sdbegin!end!
end!
begin!
std::cout << "Hello, world!" << sd::begin!end!

begin!
std::cout << "ebegin!
end!

end!

"begin!

begin!end!
end!

This behavior would not be acceptable for users who use macros heavily.

[tshino]

Unfortunately, the feature request to fix the above autorepeat issue has been closed because it has received less than 20 community upvotes.
As a result, it is now clear that runCommands command won't be able to be used as an alternative of our macro playback command kb-macro.playback.

Can we use 'runCommands' command to implement our macro playback?
The answer is No.
I have to continue maintaining this extension.