Feature Request: Conditional Activity Bar Icon Visibility Based on Project Type #1028

Feature Request: Conditional Activity Bar Icon Visibility Based on Project Type

Problem Statement

The Python extension's Activity Bar icon is always visible, regardless of whether the current workspace contains Python code. This creates visual clutter when working with non-Python projects and differs from the behavior of other language extensions like Flutter/Dart.

Current Behavior

• Python Activity Bar icon appears immediately upon VS Code startup
• Icon remains visible in all workspaces (JavaScript, Go, Rust, etc.)
• No way to automatically hide/show based on project context
• Manual hiding via right-click affects all workspaces globally

Requested Behavior

The Python Activity Bar icon should only appear when a Python project is detected in the current workspace

Show icon when workspace contains:

• .py files
• requirements.txt
• pyproject.toml
• setup.py
• Pipfile
• poetry.lock
• conda.yaml / environment.yml
• .venv / venv directories
• Or any Python-related file/folder indicator

Hide icon when:

• No Python indicators are present in the workspace
• Working with purely non-Python projects

Benefits

1. Reduced visual clutter - Activity Bar shows only relevant tools
2. Improved multi-language workflows - Developers working across Python, JavaScript, Go, etc. get cleaner context switching
3. Consistency - Aligns with Flutter extension's behavior pattern
4. User choice - Could be optional via setting: "python.activityBar.showOnlyInPythonProjects": true

User Impact

This would particularly benefit:

• Full-stack developers working with multiple languages
• DevOps engineers managing polyglot repositories
• Data scientists switching between Python and R/Julia
• Anyone who values a minimal, context-focused UI

Additional Context

• VS Code version: (any recent version supports when clauses)
• This is a UX enhancement, not a breaking change
• Could default to current behavior (always visible) with opt-in setting