💡 Add support for multi-root workspaces in VSCode

[agusterodin]

Suggest an idea for Knip

I am unable to get Knip to work properly for my monorepo in a multi-root workspace. Variables in the "common" package are being reported as unused (underlined in IDE extension) despite being used by product2.

This is what my multi-root workspace looks like:

{
  "folders": [
    {
      "name": "ui",
      "path": "../ui/product1"
    },
    {
      "name": "common",
      "path": "../ui/common"
    },
    {
      "name": "server",
      "path": "../backend/server"
    },
    {
      "name": "processor",
      "path": "../backend/processor"
    },
    {
      "name": "backend-library",
      "path": "../backend-library"
    },
    {
      "name": "db-schemas",
      "path": "../db-schemas"
    },
    {
      "path": "../ui"
    }
  ],
}

This is the structure of my workspace (pnpm-workspace.yaml file)

packages:
  - 'common'
  - 'product2'
  - 'product1'

The ui directory contains the monorepo that Knip is being used on. Every other directory (eg: db-schemas) is non-TypeScript backend stuff.

Unused import direction in common UI library works correctly in the IDE extension when opening my monorepo in a VSCode single root workspace.

I am not using any configuration file (eg: knip.json). This is purely the automatic configuration. I tried messing around with configuration files but couldn't come up with anything useful.

---

Not sure if this is relevant or even necessary but TailwindCSS's Intellisense extension has support for workspace setting "object notation" where you can specify relative configuration paths for all/some of the roots in your multi-root workspace.

[webpro]

There is basic support for multiple workspaces. E.g. after "Add Folder to Workspace" there are two LS clients running that turns it into "multi-root", and Knip will output "Managing 2 workspaces", etc. So this might be a bug report.

• What does the Knip "Output" tab say?

Hopefully you — or someone else — would be willing to work on a pull request to fix it? That'd be efficient as I don't have an actual reproduction ready.

It's basically a one-file JS extension without compilation and there is a launch config available.

[agusterodin]

Here is a minimal reproduction:

https://github.com/agusterodin/knip-vscode-extension-multi-root-workspace-bug-reproduction

In the repository, I have two workspaces: multi-root workspace that doesn't point to multiple places in monorepo (Knip works) + multi-root workspace that does point to multiple places in monorepo (Knip work).

It appears the the bug only occurs when the multi-root workspace has multiple roots that point to directories within the monorepo.

---

Here are video screenshots of the two workspaces in action. The videos contain IDE extension "output" tab contents as well.

Knip Working (Multi-Root Workspace That Doesn't Point To Multiple Places In Monorepo)
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5afdcbf7-59d8-4928-ab2e-4e7d32d98b07

Knip Not Working (Multi-Root Workspace Pointing To Multiple Places In Monorepo)
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6338f5e9-9351-4dc1-bd70-155fc08f57db

[github-actions]

Preview release available:

npm i -D https://pkg.pr.new/knip@b1d3582

[webpro]

Might have a fix, pushed to the fix/nested-multi-root-workspaces branch — any chance you know how to try it out? I need to write docs for this still.

[agusterodin]

Having a hard time figuring out how to run locally

[webpro]

Quick overview (out of time here). I think in Node.js 24 we don't need to pnpm run build knip core:

[agusterodin]

I tried running changes locally. Still doesn't work. Same issue as described before.

Attached video is of the previously non-working (multi-root workspace pointing to multiple places In monorepo) structure first and then the previously working structure (multi-root workspace that doesn't point to multiple places In monorepo). I kept "output" tab open just in case there is useful information there.

Knip.Bug.Non.Working.First.Working.Second.mp4