Restrict key binding context to reduce Tab key conflict

[OldStarchy]

Proposal

Currently, both this extension and Markdown Table have keybindings for tab. The behaviour of each is not incompatible, but the keybinding for this extension is suppressing the one from Markdown Table.

The tab keybinding provided by the other extension allows easier navigation through tables, and should not conflict with the indentation helper provided by this extension. Is it possible to allow both keybindings to run, or is there a way to fallback to the Markdown Table's markdowntable.nextCell command if this extension's tab key would otherwise have no effect?

References

An issue has already been raised takumisoft68/vscode-markdown-table#18

[Lemmingh]

fallback

Not possible for now.

VS Code sorts key bindings and dynamically chooses only one to dispatch.

If there were a fallback or hook mechanism, we probably wouldn't have to write so many ugly when clauses.

See:

• https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/keybindings#_detecting-keybinding-conflicts

• Feature Request: Keybinding Overloading microsoft/vscode#39888

[OldStarchy]

It looks like writing custom when clauses is the intended way to deal with this.

[Lemmingh]

We've known it from dealing with VSCodeVim (a Vim emulator).

But a critical problem is race condition. As far as I'm aware, there will be a higher (seemingly medium) risk of mismatch between prediction and reality, if we don't intercept input to do analysis.

[veonua]

The extension hijacks tab so other extensions that use the tab to accept auto-complete/auto-correct would not run.

It is very annoying to see a completed/corrected version of a word or phrase but clicking tab just inserts spaces in a word.

[Lemmingh]

use the tab to accept auto-complete/auto-correct

Do you mean "Inline Suggestion"?
#1011

[veonua]

yes, including CoPilot. But there are many spelling extensions and a tab is a popular keystroke to accept suggestions.

[Lemmingh]

many spelling extensions

May I know which ones?

You can also follow VS Code's guide to trace the key binding resolution.

---

I'm a bit confused here. "Inline Suggestion" is still a proposed feature. VS Code and its partners can ship extensions that invoke proposed APIs, whilst others may call them only during debug.

[imthenachoman]

What exactly do these two do?

• markdown.extension.onTabKey
• markdown.extension.onShiftTabKey

Removing the keybinding for them fixes the issue but I'm unsure what that breaks with Markdown All in One.

I want to update it's default when condition so that Markdown Table's tab still works in tables.

[yzhang-gh]

They are used when you want to indent/outdent a list item. You can see it in the second GIF here https://github.com/yzhang-gh/vscode-markdown#list-editing

[imthenachoman]

Is there some when condition we can use to check if we are in a list? That way the tab will work for both extensions.

[yzhang-gh]

Currently we cannot. There is an ongoing PR #1075 dealing with it. Not sure when it will be released, but we will give you an update when it happens.

[imthenachoman]

Rock on. Thanks!

[yzhang-gh]

It has been available in the pre-release version.