Render Inline Images in code comments

[robertlugg]

• VSCode Version: Code 1.19.2 (490ef76, 2018-01-10T15:55:03.538Z)
• OS Version: Windows_NT x64 6.1.7601
• Extensions:

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
path-intellisense	chr	1.4.2
bracket-pair-colorizer	Coe	0.10.14
language-julia	jul	0.9.1
python	ms-	0.9.1
unicode-latex	oij	1.1.1
vscode-code-outline	pat	0.0.12
progen-mtp	rob	0.0.1
tcl	ras	0.1.0
vscode-icons	rob	7.19.0
partial-diff	ryu	0.5.1
code-spell-checker	str	1.6.2

(1 theme extensions excluded)

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Feature Request

Allow images to be displayed "inline" with source code. Provide meta-data to indicate what to show (using markup, etc).

For several domains an image is worth a thousand words, as they say. I write geometric routines and wish to describe, for instance, coordinate systems.

I would also like to be able to insert other simple illustrations. This is better than ascii art.

I know this is a code editor and not a word processor, so have no problems greatly restricting how images are inserted. Primarily, its just for commenting code better.

As a bonus, I would love the "drag and drop" like this github issue dialog where dropping a file into VSCode will embed whatever markup is needed including potentially copying the image to the same directory as the source code.

References

This Visual Studio extension does exactly what I'm requesting:
https://github.com/lukesdm/image-comments

This Visual Studio example is also very similar:
https://editorsamples.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Image%20Insertion&referringTitle=Home

This request is not the same as
#7689 or
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=kisstkondoros.vscode-gutter-preview
, but is similar. I don't want a quick "icon", i want a read-able "full-size" image that will help my comment.

[pyang-1981]

Great request. That will be very helpful.

[ghost]

I think it's can be also very dangerous (unsecure)...

[m-schuetz]

I'd also love to have this feature! Developers in visual computing could greatly benefit from graphical representations of algorithms in comments.

If this makes it into vscode, it would be good if the links could be specified relative to the workspace/project folder, since web content may not always be available or it may get removed at some point.

[danmarshall]

👍 I've long wanted this feature in an editor. It could also support a data-uri.
Come to think about it, perhaps this could be implemented with markdown inside of a multi-line comment.

[tecosaur]

I'm here from LaTeX Workshop where the is significant demand for inline previews of both images and math (using MathJax).

Adding my two cents - I'd really like to see it, and I also know of a large community that is particularly interested in this capability.

[jrieken]

/duplicate of #3220

[vscodebot]

Thanks for creating this issue! We figured it's covering the same as another one we already have. Thus, we closed this one as a duplicate. You can search for existing issues here. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!

[robertlugg]

(edited):
I see that there are other similar requests referenced (#66493, #66418, #3220). This makes me confident that my request is redundant and it is appropriate to close.

---- original ---

Hi @jrieken, I reviewed most of the #3220 thread.  There are several concepts related to my request.  But viewing that thread, I don't see a consistent alignment with the end goal or with my request.  Or, put another way, if issue #3220 were satisfied, would it _necessarily_ mean that my request would also be satisfied?

What concerns me most is the title of that request.  I don't want a "peek" or something like jupyter that performs an evaluation (although those features are nice too).

I don't see how my request is a duplicate of #3220.  That said, I'll respect your judgement if after reviewing this note you conclude that it is.  Thank you for your thoughts on this.

[jrieken]

Yeah, with #3220 (and PR #66418) there will be API that allows you do render images inline with code and/or code comments.