Make it easier for new users to save untitled files

[sana-ajani]

We notice that beginners often get tripped up when they launch VS Code for the first time and create their new file. They are not sure how to run their file, because they often don't realize they have to save their file and save it as a particular file extension to get language support. From @burkeholland's user test, one idea that came up was to include the options to Save an untitled file from the right-click tab menu. Thoughts on also adding an option to "Choose language" from the right-click menu which would open up the language mode quick pick?

[bpasero]

I wonder though: for someone that does not know the concept of untitled vs files, would it help to see a "Save" entry in the context menu? Wouldn't that require to know this concept to begin with?

I find the idea of having a new type of editor that saves automatically (like a scrapbook kind of thing) more interesting imho, but maybe we should have a UX discussion about this.

//cc @misolori

[burkeholland]

@bpasero I think you bring up the core point - which is that what the user is really expecting is that the file is already saved for them. The fully abstracted file experience of phones has done this to our brains. I'm also interested in an experience where you can create a new file of a type and it just "is". And when you change it, it's just changed.

That said, when beginners do try and save files as eventually they will, it seems like they will head for a the context menu. My kid is still doing it even though I've taught him about File/Save.

[bpasero]

Related scrapbook feature request from a while ago: #44100

[miguelsolorio]

I don't mind adding a save action in the context menu, though I'm not sure if that will help for those that don't know you can right-click on tabs. I like the idea of a scrapbook concept, kinda like saving everything to a "untitled" workspace that the user never has to manage (like codepen).

Another idea, what if we showed a codelens that asked the user to choose a language mode on empty untitled files? Then we could prompt a save afterwards:

[sana-ajani]

Related scrapbook feature request from a while ago: #44100

I think having a temporarily saved "untitled" workspace would be greatly valuable, because I think many people expect that nowadays anyway. I compare this to the experience when creating a new file on Google Drive - when I create a blank Google Docs document, the file name is "untitled" until I've explicitly renamed it, but it is saved on my drive as "untitled" as well. We could save this for a duration of a session, and if the user adds code to this untitled file and tries to execute the code, then they will be prompted to save it because of #111850.

I don't mind adding a save action in the context menu, though I'm not sure if that will help for those that don't know you can right-click on tabs. I like the idea of a scrapbook concept, kinda like saving everything to a "untitled" workspace that the user never has to manage (like codepen).

Another idea, what if we showed a codelens that asked the user to choose a language mode on empty untitled files? Then we could prompt a save afterwards:

It's a good point about new users not realizing you can right click on a tab, though I would say the action of right clicking a tab might be more likely for these users than them going to File -> Save or realizing the keyboard shortcut for saving a file, so it could still be a worthwhile option to add. Perhaps we can try this as an experiment? And see which options for saving an untitled file is most common. cc @digitarald.

I also really like the codelens for the untitled file @misolori ! It's a simple instruction that can offer a lot of guidance, without being too annoying. Repl.it has a similar flow. You are first asked what kind of repl to create (python, node.js, java, etc) and asked to name it, then presented with an empty tab with this codelens. When you click on "examples", it opens up a modal with sample snippets of code to insert.

Something like this in the editor to guide new users would be enormously helpful. Clicking on the "language" would open the language picker, and clicking on "save" could open the native save dialog.