Improve devfile editing UX
Is your enhancement related to a problem? Please describe
To simplify the day 1 activities (start a sample workspace, start a workspace from a git repository) we have removed the Devfile editor from the Dashboard as editing a YAML file to create a workspace was a daunting activity for new users.
As a consequence we have sacrificed a day 2 activity, something that more experienced users loved: the devfile editor. From devfile editor in the dashboard allowed to create and edit a devfile (re)start a workspace from it.
Describe the solution you'd like
There will be multiple alternatives:
- Start from no-devfile and progressively build one without editing one line of YAML
- Follow a link to inspect and edit the DevWorkspace object in OpenShift Console
- Advanced Devfile editing experience in VS Code with code completion with the YAML VS Code extension
The progressive editing flow is the following one:
- start a workspace without Devfile: empty or from a git repository (passed as a URL parameter)
- in the IDE it will be possible to use a GUI tool to generate or to edit the devfile (no YAML)
- from the IDE it will be possible to restart a workspace from the created / modified devfile
- for advanced configuration it will be possible to edit a Devfile YAML with code completion and API documentation in the IDE itself
Subtasks:
- Add an IDE-only workspace sample in the Dashboard getting started (without project) #21554
- Handle gracefully when an invalid devfile is found in a git repository #20738
- When a devfile is not present Che should include a UDI based dev container in the workspace #21340
- Che ignores changes to devfile.yaml and che-editor.yaml after pushing to a git repository (because che-server URLFetcher sometimes caches its results) #21184
- Allowing users to update the workspace if they edit the project devfile in VS Code #18670
- As a User, I want to navigate from DevWorkspace Dashboard view to OpenShift Console DevWorkspace object #22422
- Make "Devfile" on User Dashboard uneditable #22115
- When workspace startup fails, propose to start it in "safe mode" #22228
- Devfile creation walkthroughs #18671
- Rework "Overview" and remove "DevWorkspace" tab from the "Workspace Details" #22612
- Improve options when workspace startup fails #22640
Describe alternatives you've considered
We want to avoid the re-introduction of the user dashboard devfile editor because we want that to happen in the IDE. That's where a developer has the best development experience and that's where they expect to edit their workspace. Having to go back to the dashboard to edit the workspace is awkward. This is a feedback we got recurrently from users.