"Normal" filtering input for trees

[usernamehw]

Issue Type: Feature Request

https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_31#_new-tree-widget

Is it possible to replace current filtering feature with an ordinary input element?

normal input	filter on type
✅ standard element	❌
✅ being able to have simple navigation and still filter items	❌
✅ no clash with extension contributed keybindings	✅❌ can be mitigated with workbench.list.automaticKeyboardNavigation & list.toggleKeyboardNavigation
✅ can paste text	❌
✅ can undo	❌
✅ can select text	❌
✅ good discoverability	❌
✅ preverve text on reload	❌
❌ takes one row of space	✅ only visible while typing

---

filter disappeared on outline view #70095
Performing a search on Outline #70640
Filter box in Outline has dissapeared in Release 1.32.3 #70605
Search field in structure side panel #70575
Search input field missing in new outline in Code 1.32.1 #70038

Yeah, you can tell those people where to find the "filter on type" feature, but all the new users potentially would never even know that it exists.

[MgSam]

To add my 2 cents- you really need to restore the search boxes. The filtering ability you guys added for trees is a nice idea but is absolutely horrible from a UX perspective. It has zero discoverability. And even once you know it exists, it still sucks because you have to give the tree focus by clicking somewhere random inside of it before typing. You can't possibly expect all your users to dig through documentation to learn how to perform a basic search.

A good rule of thumb for UX design is that if you're doing something no other application does, there's probably a reason why that is (and not because it's a great idea- people have been building GUIs for decades- there are precious few "undiscovered" UI paradigms left).

[martbean]

I agree. Added to which, for whatever reason 'Filter on Type' doesn't seem to work for me at all. Possibly one of my extensions is interfering with it but regardless, the old search box was much more user-friendly. Can it at least be an option?

[futurekill]

+1 From me...I had to search through github tickets to find out that 1. it was removed and 2. how to access that functionality. As it is now it's completely intuitive.

[JasonZough]

desperate for a filter box in outline when writting Vue.

[nataliethistime]

+1 - VS Code's Vim seems to eat my keyboard input, rendering this feature unusable. Please bring back a text box so that this works again. ❤️