Triggering commands by their command ID or a custom string alias

Question

I'd like to trigger a command listed in the Default Keybindings view from the Command Palette.

For example, I'd like to be able to trigger one of commands listed below, by name (or a string alias of my choice), from the Command Palette (Command + Shift + P).

How do I do that?

// ---- From "Default Keybindings" -----
//
...
// - workbench.extensions.action.showExtensionsWithIds
// - workbench.extensions.action.showInstalledExtensions
// - workbench.extensions.action.showLanguageExtensions
// - workbench.extensions.action.showPopularExtensions
// - workbench.extensions.action.showRecommendedExtensions
// - workbench.extensions.action.stopExtensionHostProfile
// - workbench.extensions.action.updateAllExtensions
// - workbench.extensions.installMissingDepenencies
// - workbench.files.action.acceptLocalChanges
// - workbench.files.action.collapseExplorerFolders
// - workbench.files.action.compareFileWith
// - workbench.files.action.focusFilesExplorer
// - workbench.files.action.refreshFilesExplorer
// - workbench.files.action.revertLocalChanges
// - workbench.files.action.saveAllInGroup
// - workbench.files.action.showActiveFileInExplorer
// - workbench.output.action.clearOutput
// - workbench.userData.actions.continueSync
// - workbench.userData.actions.login
// - workbench.userData.actions.logout
// - workbench.userData.actions.stopSync
// - workbench.userData.actions.syncStart
// - workbench.view.extension.atlascode-drawer
// - workbench.view.extension.databaseExplorer
// - workbench.view.extension.gitlens
// - workbench.view.extension.references-view
// - workbench.view.extension.test
// - workbench.view.remote
// - workbench.view.search.focus
...

user_836330 · Answer

The Default Keybindings listing does not show the title of each command as it appears in the Command Palette. You would typically use that title/alias to search in the Command Palette. Using the plain command, like workbench.extensions.action.showLanguageExtensions is a pain because you need to type the whole command out exactly right for it to be found in the Command Palette.

You could also put the command into the KeyBoard Shortcuts search to learn its built-in alias.

There is no way at present - but it is on the backlog - see https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/50836 - to be able to make your own aliases for commands.

However, I wrote an extension to do this that is in preview, command alias that allows you to create your own aliases for commands. For example:

  "command aliases": {
    "explorer.newFile": "touch",
    "explorer.newFolder": "mkdir"
  },

would give you a touch and a mkdir listing/alias right in the Command Palette that would trigger explorer.newFile and explorer.newFolder respectively.

Triggering commands by their command ID or a custom string alias

1 Answers