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Terminal: broken text layout

Fresh3 days ago
Mar 14, 20260 views
Confidence Score94%
94%

Problem

- VSCode Version: Code - Insiders 1.9.0-insider (fcac9b686abe4292e69a774f61c8c4ce17768bf5, 2017-01-31T00:57:46.157Z) - OS Version: Windows_NT ia32 10.0.15019 - Extensions: |Extension|Author|Version| |---|---|---| |vscode-eslint|dbaeumer|1.2.2| |theme-dracula|dracula-theme|1.2.5| |vscode-great-icons|emmanuelbeziat|1.1.38| |Theme-azure|gerane|0.0.2| |theme-material-theme|jprestidge|1.0.1| |vs-color-picker|lihui|0.3.2| |Theme-MaterialKit|ms-vscode|0.1.1| |view-in-browser|qinjia|0.0.4| |ActiveFileInStatusBar|RoscoP|1.0.2| |eval|Stormspirit|0.0.5| |omnipascal|Wosi|0.12.0| --- Steps to Reproduce: 1. running grunt test to run unit testing should produce this output: (here in cmd.exe) Here is what I got in VSCode integrated terminal: Note that the first time I ran it, the layout of the prompt was also broken, instead of the cursor directly following the prompt, like: I was having: (and I could not move the cursor more on the left)

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1 Fix

Canonical Fix
Unverified Fix
New Fix – Awaiting Verification

Fix Terminal Text Layout Issues in VSCode Insiders

Medium Risk

The broken text layout in the VSCode integrated terminal is likely caused by a combination of terminal rendering issues and potential conflicts with installed extensions. The terminal may not properly handle ANSI escape codes or character width calculations, leading to misalignment of text and cursor positioning.

Awaiting Verification

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  1. 1

    Update VSCode Insiders

    Ensure you are using the latest version of VSCode Insiders, as updates may contain fixes for terminal rendering issues.

    bash
    code-insiders --update
  2. 2

    Disable Conflicting Extensions

    Temporarily disable all extensions to identify if any are causing the layout issue. You can do this by going to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X) and disabling them one by one.

    bash
    code-insiders --disable-extensions
  3. 3

    Change Terminal Renderer Type

    Switch the terminal renderer type to 'dom' or 'canvas' in the settings. This can help resolve rendering issues. Open settings (Ctrl+,) and search for 'terminal.integrated.rendererType'. Set it to 'dom' or 'canvas'.

    json
    "terminal.integrated.rendererType": "dom"
  4. 4

    Adjust Font Settings

    Modify the terminal font settings to ensure proper character width. In settings, search for 'terminal.integrated.fontFamily' and set it to a monospace font like 'Courier New'.

    json
    "terminal.integrated.fontFamily": "Courier New"
  5. 5

    Reset VSCode Settings

    If the issue persists, consider resetting VSCode settings to default. This can be done by deleting the settings.json file located in the user settings directory.

    bash
    Delete settings.json from %APPDATA%\Code - Insiders\User\settings.json

Validation

To confirm the fix worked, re-run 'grunt test' in the integrated terminal. The text layout should appear correctly with the cursor positioned immediately after the prompt. If issues persist, check for any error messages in the Developer Tools console (Help > Toggle Developer Tools).

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Environment

Submitted by

AC

Alex Chen

2450 rep

Tags

vscodeideeditorbugterminalwindows