Cannot open `directory` because it is a submodule'

[WetHat]

Hi,

I'm having an issue with Git submodules as described below:

Description

When a directory is a GIT submodule, an attempt to open it with the @jupyterlab/github extension
displays an error:

Reproduce

1. Create a GIT submodule on the file system typing something like this on the
   command line

# To add and clone a new submodule
$ git submodule add https://github.com/chaconinc/DbConnector
$ git clone https://github.com/chaconinc/MainProject
$ git submodule init
$ git submodule update

2. Open Jupyter Lab with the @jupyterlab/github extension installed.
3. Open the GIT panels and browse to the submodule
4. See error 'Cannot open <directory> because it is a submodule'

Expected behavior

Git submodules should be supported like regular Git modules. That would be extremely helpful!

Context

• Python package version:

  # packages in environment at c:\Miniconda:
  #
  # Name                Version               Build  Channel
  jupyterlab-github    1.0.0                 pypi_0    pypi
  

Thanks,

WetHat

[ian-r-rose]

Hi @WetHat, unfortunately this is expected behavior. We don't have a way currently to recursively go into a submodule (indeed, it may not even be on GitHub).

If somebody wanted to try implementing that, it could be an interesting exercise, but I don't know how feasible it is.

[ian-r-rose]

(also, sorry for the extremely slow response)