CCSTUDIO: How to configure CCS 20.2 to store .metadata inside the project folder?

Hello Oleg,

Oleg Pavlovsky said:

I would like to configure CCS so that the .metadata folder is saved directly inside the project folder

The workspace .metadata location is not meant to be changed and hence the location is not configurable.

Thanks

ki

Why so categorical? After all, this creates major problems with project portability. A model where the project folder also stores all the workspace design data is clearly more convenient for the user.

I don't have the internal details to answer this question properly but I believe the current functionality was needed to support some other desired behavior specific to CCS. I will see if I can get more details.

The intent was to separate cache information from actual files that people would want to share. Workspace level settings would be stored inside the workspace folder and this can be shared with the workspace folder. The cache information stored in .metadata is not designed to be shared and was moved to a different location in the users home folder. 

Hi Ki!
I don't know what your priorities are, but every day I transfer my project from home to work and every day I curse as I reconfigure my workspace shell. In any case, you could let developers decide for themselves, using settings, whether confidentiality or convenience is more important to them.

Oleg Pavlovsky said:

I reconfigure my workspace shell. In any case, you could let developers decide for themselves, using settings,

What is it that needs to be reconfigured for your use case? Note that IDE settings can be configured at the global (user), workspace, and workspace folder level. If a project is imported from its original location (creating a multiroot workspace) where the project folder is added (not copied), then you can apply settings to just that project folder. This will create a .theia folder inside the project folder with a settings.json inside which has all the IDE settings set at the project level.

I tend to copy entire workspace folder (which multiple projects in them) from machine to machine. Hence I tend to save settings at the workspace level so that it is stored in the .theia folder inside the workspace folder with my projects. 

Hi Ki,

Thanks again for your detailed responses — they’ve helped me understand the architecture of CCS Theia much better.

You mentioned that if a project is imported from its original location (creating a multiroot workspace), it’s possible to store IDE settings inside the project folder via a .theia/settings.json file. I’ve tried opening my project folder directly using File → Open Folder..., but CCS doesn’t seem to treat it as a multiroot workspace, and no .theia/settings.json is created inside the project.

Could you please walk me through the exact steps you use to create a multiroot workspace that enables per-project settings? For example:

• Do you start with an empty workspace and add folders?

• Do you manually create a .code-workspace file?

• Is there a specific UI flow or command that triggers CCS to treat it as multiroot?

I’d appreciate a step-by-step guide or even a screenshot of your setup if possible. My goal is to make my project fully portable, including IDE settings, without needing to reconfigure the environment daily.

Thanks again for your time and support!

Best regards, Oleg Pavlovsky