Go to Definition or Go to Declaration - what's the difference in VSCode?

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Question

Evgeny Shvarov · 12 hr ago

#Development Environment #ObjectScript #VSCode #InterSystems IRIS

To VSCode experts - see the screenshot. When right-click on a method with intentions to proceed to the source code:

I am always confused about what to choose: declaration or definition. What is the difference?

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John Murray · 12 hr ago

IIRC, you'd use `Go to Definition` to get to the method code. According to the Language Server README `Go to Declaration` is relevant for variables that are declared as method arguments, or listed in the PublicList of the method, or are declared with #Dim

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score 0 · Answer 1 · 2025-04-07T06:18:03-04:00

Thanks for the clarification, @John Murray ! That's helpful! From a UX standpoint, I'd prefer one menu that "goes to the origin" for both cases, so I don't do calc everytime 'if it is a method, then definition if a variable, then declaration'.

Too complex?

score 1 · Answer 2 · 2025-04-07T07:10:48-04:00

These "Go To" options are built-in to VS Code core. While the action is the same, the concepts are different. VS Code describes a few of them here.

score 0 · Answer 3 · 2025-04-07T07:21:11-04:00

Evgeny Shvarov · 10 hr ago

Thanks, Brett! They are not ideal as we can see :) Me too ;)

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