Bug: fix project initalize method to not overwrite user settings

.gitignore

@@ -5,4 +5,7 @@ node_modules
 *.vsix
 .nox/
 .venv/
-**/__pycache__/
+**/__pycache__/
+
+# Folder for storing AI generated artifacts
+ai-artifacts/*

package.json

@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
                 "python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths": {
                     "type": "array",
                     "description": "%python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths.description%",
-                    "default": [],
+                    "default": ["./**/.venv"],
                     "scope": "resource",
                     "items": {
                         "type": "string"
@@ -213,6 +213,12 @@
                 "category": "Python",
                 "icon": "$(refresh)"
             },
+            {
+                "command": "python-envs.searchSettings",
+                "title": "%python-envs.searchSettings.title%",
+                "category": "Python",
+                "icon": "$(gear)"
+            },
             {
                 "command": "python-envs.refreshPackages",
                 "title": "%python-envs.refreshPackages.title%",
@@ -574,6 +580,11 @@
                     "group": "navigation",
                     "when": "view == env-managers"
                 },
+                {
+                    "command": "python-envs.searchSettings",
+                    "group": "navigation",
+                    "when": "view == env-managers"
+                },
                 {
                     "command": "python-envs.refreshAllManagers",
                     "group": "navigation",

package.nls.json

@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
     "python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType.shellStartup": "Activation using [shell integration](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/terminal/shell-integration) or by modifying the terminal shell startup script. Enable `terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled` or we may need to modify your shell startup scripts for the ideal experience.",
     "python-envs.terminal.autoActivationType.off": "No automatic activation of environments.",
     "python-envs.terminal.useEnvFile.description": "Controls whether environment variables from .env files and python.envFile setting are injected into terminals.",
-    "python-envs.globalSearchPaths.description": "Global search paths for Python environments. Absolute directory paths that are searched at the user level.\n\n**Legacy Setting Support:** This setting is merged with the legacy `python.venvPath` and `python.venvFolders` settings. All paths from these three settings are combined into a single list of search paths. The legacy settings `python.venvPath` and `python.venvFolders` will be deprecated in the future, after which this setting will fully replace them. Please consider migrating your paths to this setting.",
-    "python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths.description": "Workspace search paths for Python environments. Can be absolute paths or relative directory paths searched within the workspace.",
+    "python-envs.globalSearchPaths.description": "Absolute paths to search for Python environments across all workspaces. Use for shared environment folders like `~/envs`.",
+    "python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths.description": "Paths to search for environments in this workspace. By default, searches for a `.venv` folder in the workspace root.",
     "python-envs.terminal.revertStartupScriptChanges.title": "Revert Shell Startup Script Changes",
     "python-envs.reportIssue.title": "Report Issue",
     "python-envs.setEnvManager.title": "Set Environment Manager",
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     "python-envs.setEnvSelected.title": "Set!",
     "python-envs.remove.title": "Delete Environment",
     "python-envs.refreshAllManagers.title": "Refresh All Environment Managers",
+    "python-envs.searchSettings.title": "Configure Search Settings",
     "python-envs.refreshPackages.title": "Refresh Packages List",
     "python-envs.packages.title": "Manage Packages",
     "python-envs.clearCache.title": "Clear Cache",

src/extension.ts

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { commands, ExtensionContext, LogOutputChannel, Terminal, Uri, window } from 'vscode';
-import { version as extensionVersion } from '../package.json';
+import { commands, ExtensionContext, extensions, LogOutputChannel, Terminal, Uri, window } from 'vscode';
 import { PythonEnvironment, PythonEnvironmentApi, PythonProjectCreator } from './api';
+import { ENVS_EXTENSION_ID } from './common/constants';
 import { ensureCorrectVersion } from './common/extVersion';
-import { registerLogger, traceError, traceInfo, traceVerbose, traceWarn } from './common/logging';
+import { registerLogger, traceError, traceInfo, traceWarn } from './common/logging';
 import { clearPersistentState, setPersistentState } from './common/persistentState';
 import { newProjectSelection } from './common/pickers/managers';
 import { StopWatch } from './common/stopWatch';
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ import { TerminalEnvVarInjector } from './features/terminal/terminalEnvVarInject
 import { TerminalManager, TerminalManagerImpl } from './features/terminal/terminalManager';
 import { registerTerminalPackageWatcher } from './features/terminal/terminalPackageWatcher';
 import { getEnvironmentForTerminal } from './features/terminal/utils';
+import { openSearchSettings } from './features/views/envManagerSearch';
 import { EnvManagerView } from './features/views/envManagersView';
 import { ProjectView } from './features/views/projectView';
 import { PythonStatusBarImpl } from './features/views/pythonStatusBar';
@@ -102,8 +103,10 @@ export async function activate(context: ExtensionContext): Promise<PythonEnviron
 
     ensureCorrectVersion();
 
-    // log extension version
-    traceVerbose(`Python-envs extension version: ${extensionVersion}`);
+    // Log extension version for diagnostics
+    const extensionVersion = extensions.getExtension(ENVS_EXTENSION_ID)?.packageJSON?.version;
+    traceInfo(`Python-envs extension version: ${extensionVersion ?? 'unknown'}`);
+
     // log settings
     const configLevels = getEnvManagerAndPackageManagerConfigLevels();
     traceInfo(`\n=== ${configLevels.section} ===`);
@@ -182,6 +185,9 @@ export async function activate(context: ExtensionContext): Promise<PythonEnviron
                 await Promise.all(envManagers.managers.map((m) => m.refresh(undefined)));
             });
         }),
+        commands.registerCommand('python-envs.searchSettings', async () => {
+            await openSearchSettings();
+        }),
         commands.registerCommand('python-envs.refreshPackages', async (item) => {
             await refreshPackagesCommand(item, envManagers);
         }),

src/features/projectManager.ts

@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ export class PythonProjectManagerImpl implements PythonProjectManager {
     private readonly updateDebounce = createSimpleDebounce(100, () => this.updateProjects());
 
     initialize(): void {
-        this.add(this.getInitialProjects());
+        // Load existing projects from settings without writing back to settings.
+        // This avoids overwriting user-configured project settings with defaults on reload.
+        this.loadProjects(this.getInitialProjects());
         this.disposables.push(
             this._onDidChangeProjects,
             new Disposable(() => this._projects.clear()),
@@ -175,6 +177,20 @@ export class PythonProjectManagerImpl implements PythonProjectManager {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Loads projects into the internal map without writing to settings.
+     * Use this for initial loading from existing settings to avoid overwriting
+     * user-configured project settings with defaults.
+     */
+    private loadProjects(projects: ProjectArray): void {
+        projects.forEach((project) => {
+            this._projects.set(project.uri.toString(), project);
+        });
+        if (projects.length > 0) {
+            this._onDidChangeProjects.fire(Array.from(this._projects.values()));
+        }
+    }
+
     create(
         name: string,
         uri: Uri,

src/features/views/envManagerSearch.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { commands } from 'vscode';
+
+/**
+ * Opens environment search settings at workspace level.
+ */
+export async function openSearchSettings(): Promise<void> {
+    await commands.executeCommand(
+        'workbench.action.openWorkspaceSettings',
+        '@ext:ms-python.vscode-python-envs "search path"',
+    );
+}

src/managers/common/nativePythonFinder.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { PythonProjectApi } from '../../api';
 import { spawnProcess } from '../../common/childProcess.apis';
 import { ENVS_EXTENSION_ID, PYTHON_EXTENSION_ID } from '../../common/constants';
 import { getExtension } from '../../common/extension.apis';
-import { traceError, traceLog, traceWarn } from '../../common/logging';
+import { traceError, traceVerbose, traceWarn } from '../../common/logging';
 import { untildify, untildifyArray } from '../../common/utils/pathUtils';
 import { isWindows } from '../../common/utils/platformUtils';
 import { createRunningWorkerPool, WorkerPool } from '../../common/utils/workerPool';
@@ -671,10 +671,23 @@ function getPythonSettingAndUntildify<T>(name: string, scope?: Uri): T | undefin
     return value;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Cross-platform check for absolute paths.
+ * Uses both current platform's check and Windows-specific check to handle
+ * Windows paths (e.g., C:\path) when running on Unix systems.
+ */
+function isAbsolutePath(inputPath: string): boolean {
+    return path.isAbsolute(inputPath) || path.win32.isAbsolute(inputPath);
+}
+
 /**
  * Gets all extra environment search paths from various configuration sources.
  * Combines legacy python settings (with migration), globalSearchPaths, and workspaceSearchPaths.
- * @returns Array of search directory paths
+ *
+ * Paths can include glob patterns which are expanded by the native
+ * Python Environment Tool (PET) during environment discovery.
+ *
+ * @returns Array of search paths (may include glob patterns)
  */
 export async function getAllExtraSearchPaths(): Promise<string[]> {
     const searchDirectories: string[] = [];
@@ -698,7 +711,7 @@ export async function getAllExtraSearchPaths(): Promise<string[]> {
 
         const trimmedPath = searchPath.trim();
 
-        if (path.isAbsolute(trimmedPath)) {
+        if (isAbsolutePath(trimmedPath)) {
             // Absolute path - use as is
             searchDirectories.push(trimmedPath);
         } else {
@@ -710,20 +723,16 @@ export async function getAllExtraSearchPaths(): Promise<string[]> {
                     searchDirectories.push(resolvedPath);
                 }
             } else {
-                traceWarn('Warning: No workspace folders found for relative path:', trimmedPath);
+                traceWarn('No workspace folders found for relative search path:', trimmedPath);
             }
         }
     }
 
-    // Remove duplicates and return
+    // Remove duplicates and normalize to forward slashes for cross-platform glob compatibility
     const uniquePaths = Array.from(new Set(searchDirectories));
-    traceLog(
-        'getAllExtraSearchPaths completed. Total unique search directories:',
-        uniquePaths.length,
-        'Paths:',
-        uniquePaths,
-    );
-    return uniquePaths;
+    const normalizedPaths = uniquePaths.map((p) => p.replace(/\\/g, '/'));
+    traceVerbose('Environment search directories:', normalizedPaths.length, 'paths');
+    return normalizedPaths;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -745,6 +754,7 @@ function getGlobalSearchPaths(): string[] {
 
 /**
  * Gets the most specific workspace-level setting available for workspaceSearchPaths.
+ * Supports glob patterns which are expanded by PET.
  */
 function getWorkspaceSearchPaths(): string[] {
     try {
@@ -753,11 +763,11 @@ function getWorkspaceSearchPaths(): string[] {
 
         if (inspection?.globalValue) {
             traceError(
-                'Error: python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths is set at the user/global level, but this setting can only be set at the workspace or workspace folder level.',
+                'python-envs.workspaceSearchPaths is set at the user/global level, but this setting can only be set at the workspace or workspace folder level.',
             );
         }
 
-        // For workspace settings, prefer workspaceFolder > workspace
+        // For workspace settings, prefer workspaceFolder > workspace > default
         if (inspection?.workspaceFolderValue) {
             return inspection.workspaceFolderValue;
         }
@@ -766,8 +776,8 @@ function getWorkspaceSearchPaths(): string[] {
             return inspection.workspaceValue;
         }
 
-        // Default empty array (don't use global value for workspace settings)
-        return [];
+        // Use the default value from package.json
+        return inspection?.defaultValue ?? [];
     } catch (error) {
         traceError('Error getting workspaceSearchPaths:', error);
         return [];