Bump node 22.x

[eleanorjboyd]

How to Update Node.js Version and Modernize Tooling in a VS Code Extension Workspace

This guide walks you through updating the Node.js version and modernizing dependencies and configuration for a VS Code extension project. These steps are based on recent changes made in the vscode-black-formatter extension.

1. Update Node.js Version

• CI/CD Pipelines:

  • Update Node.js version in your CI/CD config files (e.g., GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines, etc.)

    • Example for GitHub Actions:

      env:
        NODE_VERSION: 22.17.0
      jobs:
        build:
          steps:
            - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
              with:
                node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}

    • Example for Azure Pipelines:

      - task: NodeTool@0
        inputs:
          versionSpec: '22.17.0'

  • Replace Emoji-Based Working Directory Names:

    • If you see config like:

      special-working-directory: './🐍 🐛'
      special-working-directory-relative: '🐍 🐛'

      Replace '🐍 🐛' with a simple name, e.g.:

      special-working-directory: './testingDir'
      special-working-directory-relative: 'testingDir'

    • This avoids cross-platform issues and improves reliability in CI/CD and local testing.

• Local Development:

  • Update your local Node.js version using nvm or your preferred version manager:

    nvm install 22.17.0
    nvm use 22.17.0

2. Update Dependencies

• Open package.json and update major dependencies:
  • TypeScript, ESLint, Mocha, Sinon, etc.
  • Use npm outdated to see what can be updated.
  • Example:

    "devDependencies": {
      "typescript": "^5.9.2",
      "eslint": "^9.33.0",
      "mocha": "^11.7.1",
      "sinon": "^21.0.0",
      // ...other dependencies
    }

• Run:

  npm install

3. (Optional) Modernize ESLint Configuration

If you want to update to the latest ESLint configuration style:

• Remove old .eslintrc.json or .eslintrc.js.
• Create a new eslint.config.mjs using the latest ESLint API:

  // @ts-check
  import eslint from '@eslint/js';
  import tseslint from 'typescript-eslint';
  
  export default tseslint.config(
    eslint.configs.recommended,
    ...tseslint.configs.recommended,
    {
      files: ['**/*.ts'],
      rules: {
        '@typescript-eslint/naming-convention': 'warn',
        'curly': 'warn',
        'eqeqeq': 'warn',
        'no-throw-literal': 'warn',
        'semi': 'off',
      },
    },
    {
      ignores: [
        'out/**',
        'dist/**',
        '**/*.d.ts',
      ],
    }
  );

• Install new ESLint dependencies:

  npm install @eslint/js typescript-eslint eslint --save-dev

4. Update Python Requirements (if applicable)

• If your extension uses Python, update requirements.txt and test requirements to latest versions.
• Use pip-compile or uv to regenerate lock files.

5. Refactor Test and Build Scripts

• Update test scripts to use new Node.js and dependency APIs.
• Add verbose logging and error handling for extension activation and installation.
• Ensure working directories are compatible across platforms (avoid emojis, use simple names like testingDir).

Important: Fixing spawnSync Usage for Node.js 22+

Node.js 22 introduced stricter requirements for the arguments passed to spawnSync. If you use code like:

const command = path.relative(EXTENSION_ROOT_DIR, cli);
cp.spawnSync(command, [...args, '--install-extension', 'ms-python.python'], { ... });

You may encounter errors about invalid arguments or command not found. To fix this:

• Use the full path to the CLI executable (do not use path.relative).
• Pass arguments as a flat array, and set shell: true only on Windows.
• Add verbose logging for debugging.

Example: Robust Extension Installation for Node.js 22+

async function main() {
  try {
    // The folder containing the Extension Manifest package.json
    // Passed to `--extensionDevelopmentPath`
    const extensionDevelopmentPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../');

    // The path to test runner
    // Passed to --extensionTestsPath
    const extensionTestsPath = path.resolve(__dirname, './unittest/index');
    const vscodeExecutablePath = await downloadAndUnzipVSCode('stable');
    const [cliPath, ...args] = resolveCliArgsFromVSCodeExecutablePath(vscodeExecutablePath);

    // Use cp.spawn / cp.exec for custom setup
    const isWin = process.platform === 'win32';
    if (isWin) {
      try {
        const installResult = cp.spawnSync(
          cliPath,
          [...args, '--install-extension', PVSC_EXTENSION_ID_FOR_TESTS, PVSC_ENVS_EXTENSION_ID_FOR_TESTS],
          {
            cwd: path.dirname(cliPath),
            encoding: 'utf8',
            stdio: 'inherit',
            shell: true,
          },
        );
        if (installResult.error) {
          console.error('Extension installation error:', installResult.error);
        }
        if (installResult.status !== 0) {
          console.error(`Extension installation failed with exit code: ${installResult.status}`);
        } else {
          console.log('Extension installation succeeded.');
        }
      } catch (ex) {
        console.error('Exception during extension installation:', ex);
      }
    } else {
      const installResult = cp.spawnSync(
        cliPath,
        [...args, '--install-extension', PVSC_EXTENSION_ID_FOR_TESTS, PVSC_ENVS_EXTENSION_ID_FOR_TESTS],
        {
          encoding: 'utf8',
          stdio: 'inherit',
        },
      );
      if (installResult.error) {
        console.error('Extension installation error:', installResult.error);
      }
      if (installResult.status !== 0) {
        console.error(`Extension installation failed with exit code: ${installResult.status}`);
      } else {
        console.log('Extension installation succeeded.');
      }
    }
    console.log('Extensions installed, ready to run tests.');

    // Run the extension test
    await runTests({
      // Use the specified `code` executable
      vscodeExecutablePath,
      extensionDevelopmentPath,
      extensionTestsPath,
    });
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Failed to run tests');
    process.exit(1);
  }
}

This pattern ensures compatibility with Node.js 22+ and avoids common issues with extension installation in smoke tests. Always check for errors and exit codes, and use platform-specific options for Windows.

6. Clean Up and Validate

• Remove unused imports and obsolete configuration.
• Run all tests to ensure compatibility.
• Commit and push your changes.

other notes:
update the checkout actions to v4 as well
add the github label "debt"

---

Tip: Review recent PRs in similar extensions for examples of dependency and config updates.