Microsoft/vscode

Better integration of pre-commit hooks with Python virtual environments.

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#265,613 opened on Sep 8, 2025

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 (0 comments) (2 reactions) (1 assignee)TypeScript (74,848 stars) (10,221 forks)batch import
feature-requestgithelp wanted

Description

Currently, pre-commit hooks inside VS Code cannot find tools installed in a project’s virtual environment unless VS Code itself is launched from within that environment.

Example

  • I have a pre-commit hook configured to run isort.
  • If I open the project directly in VS Code, pre-commit fails because isort cannot be found.
  • If instead I activate the virtual environment in a terminal and then start VS Code with code ., the environment is inherited correctly and pre-commit works.

This makes the workflow inconvenient since developers must remember to always launch VS Code from an activated venv.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Create a Python project with a virtual environment.
  2. Install isort (or another tool) in the venv.
  3. Add a .pre-commit-config.yaml with a hook that uses the tool.
  4. Open the project in VS Code without starting from the venv.
  5. Run a commit → pre-commit fails with tool not found.

Expected Behavior / Feature Proposal

It would be very useful if VS Code could automatically detect and use the project’s Python virtual environment when running pre-commit hooks.
This way, pre-commit would always work consistently regardless of how VS Code was launched.

Why This Matters

  • Improves developer experience by reducing friction.
  • Makes pre-commit integration more reliable for Python projects.
  • Aligns with how VS Code already handles selecting Python interpreters for debugging and linting.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
pythontypescript
Domain
developer experiencetooling
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Python virtual environmentsFamiliarity with VS Code extensionsUnderstanding of pre commit hooks
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Investigate how the Python extension in VS Code currently selects and uses the interpreter for tasks like debugging and linting. Look at the pre commit extension's source to see how it invokes hooks. Explore the possibility of passing the detected Python environment's path or activating it before running pre commit commands. Check for existing discussions in related issues or PRs about environment inheritance.