Change checkbox "Register VS Code to be the editor for associated file types" to be checked by default

[isidorn]

After discussing with John Falcone and @joaomoreno we have decided to change the checkbox Register "VS Code to be the editor for associated file types" to be turned on by default.

Since we are wrapping up the June milestone, and July I am out on vacation we will do this start of the August milestone.

Related discussion #8687 (comment)

Main motivation for this: improve user experience on windows to more easily open associated file types in VS Code.

[isidorn]

To make sure nothing gets broken:

1. put the change in a branch and create a build from it
2. in a fresh VM, install Code before your change with all defaults (no association)
3. in that same fresh VM, install the new Code with the change the same way the update does it. from a command line, run VSCodeSetup.exe /silent confirm that the associations were not set and that the user's decision at install time was preserved

[xandfis]

Adding some details on why this is important - in the new File Explorer context menu, Open With is moved to the top of the menu and supplants or replaces the need to use a separate context menu verb in most cases. It also makes it easier to establish VS Code as the default when there are multiple editors.

When VS Code is only registered for *, and not for each of the individual file types it supports, it takes more clicks as you need to open the actual Open With dialog, as opposed to a single click in the context menu.

Once the change is made to make VS Code register for all applicable file types by default, some users will uncheck that box. Instead of then having VS Code register for nothing other than *, ideally the next step in the install wizard should be a way for users to select any specific file types they want to register for. Because there are so many file types, ideally this should also have a select all / select none so that depending on whether the user wants it to register for just a few, or have it not be registered for just a few, it's a small number of steps either way.

Alternatively, VS Code's installer could drop the first check box altogether (Register Code for supported file types) and take all users to a page which has all of the file types selected, which should achieve the same effect.

[isidorn]

@xandfis thanks for elaborating. We will keep this in mind in August when we flip the default.

[JacksonKearl]

Could this be scoped out to also include adding VS Code as a folder opener? This would be helpful for not getting into the "broken" case of having only single files open as opposed to project folders.

Either here:

Or here:

[isidorn]

@JacksonKearl can you please create a new issue for that?
This milestone I want to do a minimal change (to minimise risk of breaking users) to only add more associated file types and to change the default.

[isidorn]

I have changed the flag to be default = true and have verified the following:

• Updating VS Code to the new version with default = true does not change customised file associations by the user
• Installing VS Code from fresh does not change the customised file associations

So this looks good. I will merge in the PR and will keep my eyes open for user feedback.
@xandfis I would really appreciate if you also give it a try with VS Code insiders from Monday.

We also plan to enrich the list of supported file types. @digitarald and me will work on that in a separate issue, but should also soon be in insiders.