Project Structure and the Issue

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 114 views

Introduction

As developers working with ROS (Robot Operating System) in Docker containers, we often encounter project structures that don't conform to the traditional root workspace folder setup. This can lead to issues with the ROS extension in Visual Studio Code (VS Code), which requires a catkin_ws folder as the root workspace to automatically start. In this article, we'll explore the need for an option to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace and its implications for remote development with Docker containers.

Project Structure and the Issue

Our project structure, as shown below, is a common setup for ROS development in Docker containers:

|
|-- .devcontainer/
|-- catkin_ws/
    |
    |-- build/
    |-- devel/
    |-- src/
|-- data/
    |
    |-- test.bag
|-- test/
|-- Dockerfile
...

The ROS extension in VS Code can only automatically start if a catkin_ws folder is used as the root workspace folder. However, this doesn't work for our project structure, where the catkin_ws folder is a subfolder of the project root. This limitation requires us to create a needlessly complex multi-workspace setup, which may not even work.

Why is this Feature Needed?

To work with Docker containers in remote development, we need a flexible and efficient way to manage our project structure. The current limitation of the ROS extension in VS Code makes it difficult to achieve this. By allowing us to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace, we can simplify our project structure and improve our development experience.

Benefits of the Feature

The ability to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace offers several benefits:

Simplified project structure: We can avoid creating a needlessly complex multi-workspace setup, making it easier to manage our project.
Improved development experience: With a flexible workspace setup, we can focus on developing our ROS projects without worrying about the limitations of the ROS extension.
Enhanced remote development capabilities: By allowing us to work with Docker containers in remote development, we can improve collaboration and productivity.

Implementation and Technical Details

To implement this feature, we need to modify the ROS extension in VS Code to allow users to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace. This can be achieved by adding a new option to the workspace settings, which would allow users to specify the path to the catkin_ws folder.

Here's an example of how the updated workspace settings might look:

{
    "ros": {
        "workspace": {
            "path": "/path/to/catkin_ws"
        }
    }
}

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ability to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace is a crucial feature for ROS developers working with Docker containers in remote development. By allowing users to simplify their project structure and improve their development experience, this feature can enhance collaboration and productivity. We hope that this feature will be implemented in the ROS extension in VS Code, making it easier for developers to work with ROS in Docker containers.

Future Work

To further improve the development experience for ROS developers, we can explore additional features, such as:

Improved support for multi-workspace setups: By allowing users to easily manage multiple workspaces, we can improve collaboration and productivity.
Enhanced remote development capabilities: By providing better support for remote development, we can improve the overall development experience for ROS developers.

References

Original issue

Acknowledgments

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed the need for an option to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace in ROS development with Docker containers. This feature would allow developers to simplify their project structure and improve their development experience. In this article, we'll answer some frequently asked questions about this feature and provide additional insights into its implementation and benefits.

Q: What is the current limitation of the ROS extension in VS Code?

A: The current limitation of the ROS extension in VS Code is that it can only automatically start if a catkin_ws folder is used as the root workspace folder. This doesn't work for project structures where the catkin_ws folder is a subfolder of the project root.

Q: Why is this feature needed?

A: This feature is needed to simplify project structures and improve the development experience for ROS developers working with Docker containers in remote development. By allowing users to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace, we can avoid creating needlessly complex multi-workspace setups.

Q: How would this feature be implemented?

A: To implement this feature, we would need to modify the ROS extension in VS Code to allow users to select a subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace. This can be achieved by adding a new option to the workspace settings, which would allow users to specify the path to the catkin_ws folder.

Q: What are the benefits of this feature?

A: The benefits of this feature include:

Simplified project structure: We can avoid creating needlessly complex multi-workspace setups, making it easier to manage our project.
Improved development experience: With a flexible workspace setup, we can focus on developing our ROS projects without worrying about the limitations of the ROS extension.
Enhanced remote development capabilities: By allowing us to work with Docker containers in remote development, we can improve collaboration and productivity.

Q: How would this feature affect existing project structures?

A: This feature would not affect existing project structures that already use a catkin_ws folder as the root workspace folder. However, for project structures where the catkin_ws folder is a subfolder of the project root, this feature would allow users to select the subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace.

Q: Can this feature be used with other workspace types?

A: Yes, this feature can be used with other workspace types, not just catkin_ws. The feature would allow users to select any subfolder as the workspace, regardless of the workspace type.

Q: How would this feature be tested?

A: To test this feature, we would need to create a test project with a catkin_ws folder as a subfolder of the project root. We would then need to configure the ROS extension in VS Code to use the subfolder as the catkin_ws workspace and verify that the extension works as expected.

Q: What are the next steps for this feature?

A: The next steps for this feature would be to implement the feature in the ROS extension in VS Code and test it thoroughly. We would also need to document the feature and provide user guides to help users get started with using the feature.

Conclusion

References

Original issue

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the ROS community for their contributions to this feature request. Your feedback and suggestions have been invaluable in shaping this article and the proposed feature.