Select editor text via touch

[firelizzard18]

Issue Type: Feature Request

When using a touch screen, I want to be able to interact with VSCode in an intuitive manner.

When I touch and drag on text, I expect it to do something. I think the most intuitive option would be to select text.

When I touch and drag on empty space (space with no characters in the buffer), I expect the editor to scroll with my finger.

VS Code version: Code 1.22.1 (950b8b0d37a9b7061b6f0d291837ccc4015f5ecd, 2018-04-06T02:26:57.615Z) OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.16299

[vscodebot[bot]]

(Experimental duplicate detection) Thanks for submitting this issue. Please also check if it is already covered by an existing one, like:

• Touch support can be improved in webviews (#21812)

[jyaoma]

I was thinking of requesting this feature, too. I often use VS Code in my computer while remoting in from my phone using Remote Desktop Connection using "Touch" (not "Pointer" mode) and it would be really nice for the editor to behave like a native mobile app.

Given VS Code is open And VS code knows I'm using touch input When a context menu is opened Then the options on the context menu are big enough to accommodate touch input

Given I have one of the left-side panes open When I drag or swipe on the pane with one finger Then the view should scroll with my finger

Given I have a left side pane open When I tap on something Then the file or webpage relevant to what I tapped should be opened

Given a left side pane is open When I press and hold something and then let go Then the full context menu should show

Given I am on the file tree pane When I press and hold on a file or folder then drag it across the pane Then VS Code should let me move the file or folder to another directory in the tree

Given I have a file or webpage open in the editor/main view When I drag or swipe on the view with one finger Then the file or webpage should scroll with my finger

Given I have a file open in the editor When I tap on some text Then the text cursor should move to where I tapped And a pin should show below the text cursor

Given the text cursor is visible somewhere in the editor window When I drag the pin Then the cursor should move along with the pin

Given the pin is visible When I let go of the pin Then there should be a small context menu above the text cursor for common tasks like "Select all", "Paste", and "..."

Given a small context menu is open When I tap on "..." Then the full context menu should show

Given I have a file open in the editor When I double tap on some text Then the word I tapped on should be highlighted And left and right pins should show And a small context menu should show above my selection for common tasks like "cut", "copy", and "..."

Given I have selected some text And the left and right pins are showing When I drag the pins Then my selection should adjust to match where the selection pins are

Given I have a file or webpage open in the editor/main view When I press and hold on the file or webpage and then let go Then any selection I had should not clear And I should see a full context menu

[kcambridge]

Please add this. I want to use VS Code but will have to stick with NP++ until this is added.

[vintprox]

We definitely need this feature. I can't live without code) Getting in touch with new skills will be much easier when it's implemented! By now you only can use "Expand selection" to select some word or scope, but it makes you stumbling just with the touchscreen, which sometimes is the only input device.

[vintprox]

Plus there is pretty weird behavior with combo-boxes on touch - like you can't even select anything there (for example, choosing log target in console panel failed).

[tsmspace]

I'm really newbie, but I spent a good few minutes trying to figure out if touch-drag to select text was a possibility. I can see where the conflict between wiping the view up and down and dragging a cursor would be an issue. I wonder if there is a way to use two fingers instead?? I can touch with two fingers, then drag them around to move the two ends of the selection, and because zoom isn't really a feature in vscode (mostly if someone wants larger text they can change it that one time in options, normally you wouldn't be continously zooming and unzooming like some browser pages).

for me the option of two fingers to select seems the most logical.

I don't like the idea of touching, then holding, then selecting an option, then one at a time dragging each end back and forth, meanwhile accidentally de-selecting, meanwhile a trackpad is already across the finish-line,

[stockers1]

This would be a really great feature to have. one of the most annoying issues i have with vscode, but otherwise love it.

[PetrKryslUCSD]

Is anything happening on this front?

[plezploz]

I need this too!

[gitappcomua]

I want it too!

[Yamilquery]

I need this feature too

[pedroni]

This issue happens while using other devices such as an iPad. I’m using https://github.com/cdr/code-server for developing on iPad and I’m facing this issue too.

[SashaOv]

Was trying VS Code on Surface Pro 8 tablet and came across this issue. Windows built-in Notepad does a decent job with touch support: you can edit text without keyboard by just using touch. VS Code cannot. Not being able to use VS Code for coding on tablet is very sad.

[PetrKryslUCSD]

Almost a year later, no progress. That is disappointing. Touch is really important on modern devices. I can get a lot done on my Surface Pro, but using VS Code by touch is a pain. Are there at least some plans?

[YamilDiaz]

We need to develop by ourselves.

[BenHunder]

Still looking for this!

[yiiman-dev]

Still looking for this too

[thefirstkfx]

Great feature to have when working on touch devices.

[YamilDiaz]

Yes, it will be revolutionary!

[udu3324]

Please add this feature!

[pedestriantactics]

Using VSCode in Codespaces with an iPad and an external keyboard and this is the one thing holding up my workflow. I can edit this post easier than I can edit my code right now 🫤

[cschoenecker]

This works best via Chrome on the iPad (although it is WebKit like Safari). The scroll works without setting the site zoom to 85% and the selection with the cursor also (the right click does not open the editing popup of the OS with cause the issue)

[jbschooley]

Yes, we really need this! I've been trying to find a way to get some of my dev work done on a tablet for weeks. On both my Windows tablet and my iPad Pro I can't select text by touching and dragging.

[cschoenecker]

since iOS 16 it is the display of the contextual menu (right click) that seems to crash the text selection on iPad. Concerning the scroll bug, it is fixed since iPas0S 16.4

[mauriciabad]

Given that there's no progress in this issue... Is there any extension that improves the touch capabilities of VS Code?

[cschoenecker]

While waiting for a resolution, it is better under Chrome (even with WebKit safari) but impossible in this case to have the PWA shortcut for the app in full screen