Hover hint improvement in function parameter context

[tanzanite777]

Type: Feature Request

Inlay hints ( which for most of it i begrudgingly had to turn off :( - messes way too much with editing and layout/readability ) reminded me of a feature i would really like (and i cannot be alone in this) - and it might even be trivial to implement ... function parameter context on hover.

An example to explain:

/** @param string $par doc */
function foo(string $par) : string { return "x$par"; }
function bar() : string { return 'y'; }

$s = 'x';
echo foo(bar() . $s . 'x');

Hovering any of "bar", "$s" or "'x'" on the last line of code when a modifier key ("alt" seems to be free as a possible default and makes sense) is held would show an alternate context hover hint about the first parameter of function "foo". Basically a carbon copy of what one would see when hovering "$par" in the function "foo" definition:

(parameter) string $par
doc

This "alt" context hint behavior could even be generalized - however i cannot think of much atm:

• Function parameter context -> parameter hint as explained - VERY useful.
• Function body context -> function hint - somewhat useful (to see relevant documentation while editing/reading inside longish function body).
• Class body context -> class hint (ie. doc-block as the rest is covered by declaration line sticking on top) - fairly useless.

Extension version: 1.52.16273
VS Code version: Code 1.94.2 (384ff7382de624fb94dbaf6da11977bba1ecd427, 2024-10-09T16:08:44.566Z)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19045
Modes:

[jakubmisek]

Thank you for the suggestion, good idea!

We can (should) respect the "show definition hover" aka "preview of the declaration" feature (hover while holding modifier key, i.e. Ctrl/Cmd+Hover as described at https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/editingevolved#_go-to-definition)

We'll try to implement this one.

[tanzanite777]

Not sure i got the ctrl+hover reference - was the idea that alt+hover would also make the whole "bar() . $s . 'x'" parameter clickable and it would land on the "foo" function - ie. similar to ctrl+hover on identifiers? If so then yeah - might sometimes be convenient indeed.

[jakubmisek]

I agree. Sadly VSCode API does not let us handle Alt or Ctrl explicitly. That may be a bit tricky to extend the editor with another clickable element with a custom mouse hover.