golang · MistaTwista · Jul 26, 2025 · Jul 27, 2025 · Jul 29, 2025 · Aug 10, 2025
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/).
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+Added menu in a debugger that will show variable in a new document with respect to special chars like `\r\n\t`
+
 ## v0.49.0 (prerelease)
 
 Date: 2025-07-07

diff --git a/docs/commands.md b/docs/commands.md
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ Finally, you can also see a full list by using a meta command: `Go: Show All Com
 
 <!-- Everything below this line is generated. DO NOT EDIT. -->
 
+### `Go: Open in new Document`
+
+Open selected variable in a new document.
+
 ### `Go: Current GOPATH`
 
 See the currently set GOPATH.

diff --git a/extension/package.json b/extension/package.json
@@ -212,6 +212,11 @@
       }
     },
     "commands": [
+      {
+        "command": "go.debug.openVariableAsDoc",
+        "title": "Go: Open in new Document",
+        "description": "Open selected variable in a new document."
+      },
       {
         "command": "go.gopath",
         "title": "Go: Current GOPATH",
@@ -3482,6 +3487,10 @@
         {
           "command": "go.explorer.open",
           "when": "false"
+        },
+        {
+          "command": "go.debug.openVariableAsDoc",
+          "when": "false"
         }
       ],
       "debug/callstack/context": [
@@ -3490,6 +3499,13 @@
           "when": "debugType == 'go' && callStackItemType == 'stackFrame' || (callStackItemType == 'thread' && callStackItemStopped)"
         }
       ],
+      "debug/variables/context": [
+        {
+          "command": "go.debug.openVariableAsDoc",
+          "when": "debugType=='go'",
+          "group": "navigation"
+        }
+      ],
       "editor/context": [
         {
           "when": "editorTextFocus && config.go.editorContextMenuCommands.toggleTestFile && resourceLangId == go",

diff --git a/extension/src/goDebugCommands.ts b/extension/src/goDebugCommands.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------
+ * Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ * Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE in the project root for license information.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { TextDecoder } from 'util';
+
+// Track sessions since vscode doesn't provide a list of them.
+const sessions = new Map<string, vscode.DebugSession>();
+vscode.debug.onDidStartDebugSession((s) => sessions.set(s.id, s));
+vscode.debug.onDidTerminateDebugSession((s) => sessions.delete(s.id));
+
+/**
+ * Registers commands to improve the debugging experience for Go.
+ *
+ * Currently, it adds a command to open a variable in a new text document.
+ */
+export function registerGoDebugCommands(ctx: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
+	class VariableContentProvider implements vscode.TextDocumentContentProvider {
+		static uriForRef(ref: VariableRef) {
+			return vscode.Uri.from({
+				scheme: 'go-debug-variable',
+				authority: `${ref.container.variablesReference}@${ref.sessionId}`,
+				path: `/${ref.variable.name}`
+			});
+		}
+
+		async provideTextDocumentContent(uri: vscode.Uri): Promise<string> {
+			const name = uri.path.replace(/^\//, '');
+			const [container, sessionId] = uri.authority.split('@', 2);
+			if (!container || !sessionId) {
+				throw new Error('Invalid URI');
+			}
+
+			const session = sessions.get(sessionId);
+			if (!session) return 'Debug session has been terminated';
+
+			const { variables } = await session.customRequest('variables', {
+				variablesReference: parseInt(container, 10)
+			}) as { variables: Variable[] };
+
+			const v = variables.find(v => v.name === name);
+			if (!v) return `Cannot resolve variable ${name}`;
+
+			if (!v.memoryReference) {
+				const { result } = await session.customRequest('evaluate', {
+					expression: v.evaluateName,
+					context: 'clipboard'
+				}) as { result: string };
+
+				v.value = result ?? v.value;
+
+				return parseVariable(v);
+			}
+
+			const chunk = 1 << 14;
+			let offset = 0;
+			let full: Uint8Array[] = [];
+
+			while (true) {
+				const resp = await session.customRequest('readMemory', {
+					memoryReference: v.memoryReference,
+					offset,
+					count: chunk
+				}) as { address: string; data: string; unreadableBytes: number };
+
+				if (!resp.data) break;
+				full.push(Buffer.from(resp.data, 'base64'));
+
+				if (resp.unreadableBytes === 0) break;
+				offset += chunk;
+			}
+
+			const allBytes = Buffer.concat(full);
+
+			return new TextDecoder('utf-8').decode(allBytes);
+		}
+	}
+
+	ctx.subscriptions.push(
+		vscode.workspace.registerTextDocumentContentProvider('go-debug-variable', new VariableContentProvider())
+	);
+
+	ctx.subscriptions.push(
+		vscode.commands.registerCommand('go.debug.openVariableAsDoc', async (ref: VariableRef) => {
+			const uri = VariableContentProvider.uriForRef(ref);
+			const doc = await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument(uri);
+			await vscode.window.showTextDocument(doc);
+		})
+	);
+
+	/**
+	 * A reference to a variable, used to pass data between commands.
+	 */
+	interface VariableRef {
+		sessionId: string;
+		container: Container;
+		variable: Variable;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * A container for variables, used to pass data between commands.
+	 */
+	interface Container {
+		name: string;
+		variablesReference: number;
+		expensive: boolean;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * A variable, used to pass data between commands.
+	 */
+	interface Variable {
+		name: string;
+		value: string;
+		evaluateName: string;
+		variablesReference: number;
+		memoryReference?: string;
+	}
+
+	const escapeCodes: Record<string, string> = {
+		r: '\r',
+		n: '\n',
+		t: '\t'
+	};
+
+	/**
+	 * Parses a variable value, unescaping special characters.
+	 */
+	function parseVariable(variable: Variable) {
+		let raw = variable.value.trim();
+		try {
+			return JSON.parse(raw);
+		} catch (_) {
+			return raw.replace(/\\[nrt\\"'`]/, (_, s) => (s in escapeCodes ? escapeCodes[s] : s));
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/extension/src/goDebugConfiguration.ts b/extension/src/goDebugConfiguration.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import { resolveHomeDir } from './utils/pathUtils';
 import { createRegisterCommand } from './commands';
 import { GoExtensionContext } from './context';
 import { spawn } from 'child_process';
+import { registerGoDebugCommands } from './goDebugCommands';
 
 let dlvDAPVersionChecked = false;
 
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ export class GoDebugConfigurationProvider implements vscode.DebugConfigurationPr
 		const registerCommand = createRegisterCommand(ctx, goCtx);
 		registerCommand('go.debug.pickProcess', () => pickProcess);
 		registerCommand('go.debug.pickGoProcess', () => pickGoProcess);
+		registerGoDebugCommands(ctx);
 	}
 
 	constructor(private defaultDebugAdapterType: string = 'go') {}