Feature Request: Enhanced PowerShell Prompt with Oh My Posh Integration

[jmcombs]

Summary

Implement enhanced PowerShell prompt customization inspired by Scott Hanselman's blog post "My Ultimate PowerShell prompt with Oh My Posh and the Windows Terminal" to provide a rich, informative, and visually appealing command-line experience in our PowerShell container.

Blog Post Key Features Analysis

The blog post demonstrates several powerful prompt customization features:

🎨 Oh My Posh Integration

• Cross-platform prompt theme engine with JSON-based configuration
• Extensive segment library (git, battery, Azure, dotnet versions, etc.)
• Powerline-style visual elements with custom glyphs
• Performance-optimized with configurable segments

🔤 Enhanced Typography

• Nerd Fonts support (specifically CaskaydiaCove NF)
• Unicode glyphs and icons for visual enhancement
• Proper font fallback handling

📁 Terminal-Icons Module

• Colorized directory listings with file-type icons
• Enhanced ls/dir command output
• Visual file type identification

⌨️ PSReadLine Enhancements

• Predictive autocomplete functionality
• Custom key bindings (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+B for dotnet build)
• Improved command-line editing experience

🔧 Git Integration

• Branch status display
• Stash count indicators
• Upstream tracking information
• Working directory status (modified, untracked files)

Proposed Implementation for Container Environment

🐳 Container-Specific Adaptations

1. Oh My Posh Installation

   • Install Oh My Posh binary during container build
   • Create container-optimized theme configuration
   • Focus on segments relevant to containerized development

2. PowerShell Profile Setup

   • Create default PowerShell profile ($PROFILE) for coder user
   • Initialize Oh My Posh with custom theme
   • Configure Terminal-Icons and PSReadLine modules

3. Font Considerations

   • Document Nerd Font requirements for host terminals
   • Provide fallback configuration for environments without Nerd Fonts
   • Include font installation guidance in documentation

4. Container-Relevant Segments

   • Git status (essential for development containers)
   • Current directory path with truncation
   • Execution time for long-running commands
   • Exit code indicators
   • Optional: Container/environment indicators

📋 Technical Implementation Details

Dockerfile Changes

# Install Oh My Posh
RUN curl -s https://ohmyposh.dev/install.sh | bash -s

# Install PowerShell modules
RUN pwsh -c "Install-Module -Name Terminal-Icons -Force -Scope AllUsers"
RUN pwsh -c "Install-Module -Name PSReadLine -Force -Scope AllUsers"

# Copy PowerShell profile and Oh My Posh theme
COPY config/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 /home/coder/.config/powershell/
COPY config/container-theme.omp.json /home/coder/.config/ohmyposh/

PowerShell Profile Structure

• Oh My Posh initialization
• Terminal-Icons import
• PSReadLine configuration
• Custom aliases and functions
• Container-specific optimizations

Oh My Posh Theme

• Minimal, performance-focused segments
• Git integration with essential status info
• Path display with smart truncation
• Execution time and exit code indicators
• Fallback glyphs for non-Nerd Font environments

🎯 Acceptance Criteria

✅ Core Functionality

• Oh My Posh successfully initializes in container
• Custom theme displays correctly with and without Nerd Fonts
• Git status information appears when in git repositories
• Terminal-Icons enhances directory listings
• PSReadLine provides improved command-line editing

✅ Performance Requirements

• Prompt initialization adds <500ms to container startup
• Prompt rendering is responsive (<100ms for typical operations)
• No significant impact on container image size (<50MB increase)

✅ Compatibility

• Works with standard terminal emulators (no Nerd Font requirement)
• Graceful degradation when advanced features unavailable
• Maintains compatibility with existing container usage patterns

✅ Documentation

• Updated README with prompt customization information
• Font installation guidance for optimal experience
• Customization instructions for users
• Performance impact documentation

✅ Testing

• Unit tests for PowerShell profile components
• Integration tests for Oh My Posh functionality
• Visual regression tests for prompt appearance
• Performance benchmarks for startup and rendering

🔄 Implementation Phases

Phase 1: Basic Oh My Posh Integration

• Install Oh My Posh in container
• Create minimal theme with essential segments
• Basic PowerShell profile setup

Phase 2: Enhanced Features

• Terminal-Icons integration
• PSReadLine configuration
• Git status enhancements

Phase 3: Optimization & Polish

• Performance tuning
• Advanced customization options
• Comprehensive documentation

🚀 Benefits

1. Enhanced Developer Experience

   • Rich visual feedback for git operations
   • Improved command-line productivity
   • Professional, modern terminal appearance

2. Container Differentiation

   • Unique value proposition for PowerShell container
   • Demonstrates advanced PowerShell capabilities
   • Attracts developers seeking enhanced tooling

3. Educational Value

   • Showcases PowerShell customization best practices
   • Demonstrates cross-platform PowerShell features
   • Provides template for user customizations

🔗 References

• Scott Hanselman's Blog Post
• Oh My Posh Documentation
• Terminal-Icons Module
• PSReadLine Documentation

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Priority: Medium-High
Complexity: Medium
Estimated Effort: 2-3 development cycles
Dependencies: None (additive feature)