Please support publishing pre-releases

[jankeromnes]

When publishing to the Microsoft Marketplace, you can specify --pre-release, so that the extension appears as a "pre-release" in the Marketplace, and VS Code users will not automatically upgrade to that version (unless the user explicitly requested pre-releases).

Would this be something that OpenVSX could support as well?

Expected:

• Ability to publish a new vsix with --pre-release
• https://open-vsx.org website and API showing the new vsix as "pre-release"
• Editors like VS Codium and Gitpod will only automatically upgrade extensions to "stable" versions (unless the user specifies they do want "pre-releases")

[spoenemann]

To clarify: what's the difference to the preview flag that has been in the marketplace from the beginning?

[filiptronicek]

@spoenemann I think the preview flag means that the entire extension should be considered as "in preview" (for example, eamodio.gitlens-insiders versus eamodio.gitlens), but the pre-release feature can mark every version either as a release or prerelease.

[spoenemann]

Ok, then we've been using this flag in a wrong way in Open VSX. Whoever works on this issue should correct the usage of preview as well.

[jeanp413]

Just to add to what @filiptronicek already said.
From the description of preview flag in vscode source code preview: 'Sets the extension to be flagged as a Preview in the Marketplace.' so the only thing it does is show the preview badge in the marketplace.
Also from this comment microsoft/vscode#15756 (comment)

"Preview" is currently being used by some extensions for their "release" versions that are not considered "feature complete" enough for 1.0,

Original issue microsoft/vscode#15756

[jeanp413]

Also note that the new --pre-release is kind of a workaround as the microsoft marketplace doesn't support semver with pre-releases e.g. 1.2.0-beta so they recommend to use the --pre-release with odd release versions e.g. major.ODD_NUMBER.patch
If possible we should enable semver with pre-releases in openvsx.

[akosyakov]

Here is official announcement with detail explanation on new option: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/working-with-extensions/publishing-extension#prerelease-extensions