Just Upload build without recompile nor scan dependencies

FAQ
1

Hi, first post in this comunity and recently discovering PIO. (came from Arduino IDE), Hope this helps anyone else than me, as I saw this question/issue around in many forums:

Issue: Upload button in toolbar checks for changes for recompiling and scans dependencies, but you know the already made .bin/hex files are ok because you just compiled them.

Expected behaviour: just want to upload quickly, I have so many boards to upload and don’t want to wait slow checks, skip those checks and just call upload command, I also don’t want to use another program for uploads.

Actual Solution: Upload Latest build without a Compile/Link - #4 by ivankravets
But it has a drawback, that if it can’t upload (eg. it doesn’t find com port or device was not responding), the compiled bin/hex will be erased, how anoying!

New Solution: use command platformio run -t nobuild -t upload --disable-auto-clean
note: COM port should be selected in platformio.ini or specified with -p COMx

Better Solution: Add previous command as a custom task so you don’t have to write the command every time. How? Click Terminal > Run Task… and click on the gear of option PlatformIO: Upload to configure a custom task, it will create/open .vscode/task.json there add the following task lines:

        {
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "platformio run -t nobuild -t upload --disable-auto-clean",
            "problemMatcher": [
                "$platformio"
            ],
            "label": "Upload No Build",
            "options": {
                "env": {"PATH": "{PATH to}/.platformio/penv/Scripts"}
            }
        }

In Label, you can put whatever you want this task to be called, and it will appear in Terminal > Run Task…
The options PATH is only required if platformio is not added to your system environment variables/path, {PATH to} should be replaced accordingly to your system where pio/platformio binaries are located, in Windows is usually in your C:/user folder, Linux should be ~ or home

Example task.json file if you have some other custom tasks (I have a useful Device List to show available COM ports):

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "platformio run -t nobuild -t upload --disable-auto-clean",
            "problemMatcher": [
                "$platformio"
            ],
            "label": "Upload No Build",
            "options": {
                "env": {"PATH": "C:/Users/Axel/.platformio/penv/Scripts"}
            }
        }
        {
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "platformio device list",
            "problemMatcher": [
                "$platformio"
            ],
            "label": "Device List",
            "options": {
                "env": {"PATH": "C:/Users/Axel/.platformio/penv/Scripts"}
            }
        }   
     ]
}

Best Solution Would be to change the upload button or add a new button as a custom command in PIO toolbar, but as far as I have read the only easily customizable button is build.

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