Guru
Joined: 31/07/2019
Location: AustraliaPosts: 620
| Posted: 11:36pm 03 Oct 2025 |
There is a code editor "VS Code" which apparently
can be set up for many languages etc, looks pretty
popular. Any impressions ?
Senior Member
Joined: 18/02/2023
Location: United StatesPosts: 247
| Posted: 12:23am 04 Oct 2025 |
It is good. I prefer Vi to edit my code but VS Code has become a default building block for many low level build environments. Many different embedded platforms use it to build their environment.
Hopefully, whatever you are trying to build comes with a Cheat Sheet telling you the steps to get it setup for whatever you are doing. Because it has a ton of features and the ability to load all kinds of extensions. The learning curve to understand it is pretty steep. But once it is setup correctly for what you are building, you can just focus on what you are doing.
And VS Code is tolerant of the user editing the source files outside of its editor. So I usually have a couple Vi windows open on the relevant files I'm working on even though VS Code is open also.
Regular Member
Joined: 07/03/2023
Location: United KingdomPosts: 81
| Posted: 12:36am 04 Oct 2025 |
I've looked at it a few times, and overall my impression is that it is insanely complex, so much so that I gave up trying to use it.
It makes vi look easy-peasy
I usually use the KDE editor Kate for most things.
Andy
Senior Member
Joined: 18/02/2023
Location: United StatesPosts: 247
| Posted: 01:12am 04 Oct 2025 |
Yes. This is true. VS Code isn't something I would use for normal stuff. But many large open source code bases do use it because it is very powerful and can be expanded in what ever direction is needed.
And with a large user base, that isn't a problem. Somebody will create a Cheat Sheet and help you to get things configured so it builds the environment for your hardware and according to your desires.
But... For anything being done for yourself... You don't want to use it.
If you tinker with large open source projects, you will have to learn how to get it installed and how to use its basic functions.
Senior Member
Joined: 30/10/2014
Location: GermanyPosts: 274
| Posted: 06:58am 04 Oct 2025 |
Hi,
I like VS code - I am using it for all sorts of project. You can use it as a simple editor but also for complex tool chains. The latter can get quite complicated, though there are packages that do lots of the setting up work for you.
It works nicely with git repositories and offers binding in AI (e.g., Claude, ChatGTP). I also like the fact that it is available for all (?) operating systems, including Rasbian OS, and the look-and-feel is always much the same.
Best
Thomas
Guru
Joined: 07/10/2020
Location: CanadaPosts: 518
| Posted: 06:54pm 04 Oct 2025 |
I've been using VS Code for over 8 years. I love the Jetbrains' IDEs like CLion, PyCharm, WebStorm, IntelliJ, etc, but they are heavy, and I'm reserving them for complex projects. For anything else I use VS Code. My MM Basic game port Knightmare was written entire using VS Code. I did same adjustments to make the editor to recognize .inc files as Visual Basic code. It works pretty well.
Senior Member
Joined: 30/10/2014
Location: GermanyPosts: 274
| Posted: 07:13am 05 Oct 2025 |
I just did another attempt to generate syntax highlighting for MMBasic with Claude and -- expect for a rather lengthy dialog about how to install it properly -- it worked pretty well. Since the complete PDF was too large for Claude's context, I gave it only the pages that list and explains the commands.
Note that I used Revision 0 (10 July 2025) of the manual (is there a newer one?), hence some recent commands may be missing.
The extension is contained in this zip:
mmbasic_vscode_syntax-1.0.0.zip
After unzipping it somewhere,
1) in VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+P
2) Type: Extensions: Install from VSIX
3) Navigate to the unzipped folder
4) Select mmbasic-1.0.0.vsix
5) Click Install
6) Restart VS Code when prompted
The highlighting looks fine but I did not check it yet in detail.
Cheers
Thomas
Senior Member
Joined: 25/06/2011
Location: AustraliaPosts: 239
| Posted: 10:28am 05 Oct 2025 |
I have been using VS code for about 5 years with the platformIO add on to edit and compile Marlin firmware for my older 3d printers.
Guru
Joined: 31/07/2019
Location: AustraliaPosts: 620
| Posted: 12:13pm 06 Oct 2025 |
The install looks like it expects Git and so on to be used and installed
as well, so there are some caveats. The install itself is easy though.
On one hand the assumptions are a bit exasperating and it makes the
learning curve steeper, however I do need to modernize a bit so I will
go along with it. (grumble, moan, whine
) It also has "Google Copilot" which is included as a AI assistant.
There are plenty of extensions to handle most languages so that is good.
Good idea to use Claude...I wonder if these AI tools accept Backus-Naur
language definition (if it is still used) ?
Guru
Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United KingdomPosts: 8269
| Posted: 01:25pm 06 Oct 2025 |
If anything includes AI then I don't want it. Didn't ask for it. Don't trust it. Will only switch it off.
Signed: Mr. Grumpy
:)
Senior Member
Joined: 30/10/2014
Location: GermanyPosts: 274
| Posted: 02:45pm 06 Oct 2025 |
At the beginning, it also tended to annoy me, with its constant suggestions and nagging about my code .. but fortunately, there is a button to switch if off
Git is useful to manage projects, but you don't need to install it, I think. On the positive side -- if you want to use AI -- connecting your GitHub account gives you access to co-pilot, if you have it there (it comes with some GitHub accounts, e.g., the educational ones).
Senior Member
Joined: 30/10/2014
Location: GermanyPosts: 274
| Posted: 02:46pm 06 Oct 2025 |
@Bill.b Nice dog!
Guru
Joined: 07/06/2022
Location: United StatesPosts: 324
| Posted: 06:56pm 06 Oct 2025 |
I dunno, I sort of use it for everything.
Senior Member
Joined: 25/06/2011
Location: AustraliaPosts: 239
| Posted: 08:00am 07 Oct 2025 |
unfortunately he passe away last June aged 13.5 years.
Bill
Senior Member
Joined: 30/10/2014
Location: GermanyPosts: 274
| Posted: 09:49am 07 Oct 2025 |
Sorry to hear that. Been there too often already.
Best
Thomas
Guru
Joined: 31/07/2019
Location: AustraliaPosts: 620
| Posted: 09:04pm 07 Oct 2025 |
(errm did I say "Google Copilot" ? That should be GitHub Copilot)
It is sad when they pass on.
Instead of a dog I have a friendship with a local magpie/s that I helped,
they have just had chicks so I am privileged to see them grow.
It is astonishing seeing them learn to fly (to some extent) in a day or so, it took humans a century !
AI seems to learn the same way.
Edited 2025-10-08 07:06 by zeitfest
Guru
Joined: 07/11/2023
Location: United KingdomPosts: 1623
| Posted: 09:22pm 07 Oct 2025 |
Corvids are absolutely fascinating.
Not sure about today but Crows used to be open season in SE Michigan and I used to be obsessed with hunting.
But they are too smart. I never took a single shot.
I had a good chunk of acreage with hunting blinds everywhere and I spent ridiculous money on motorized decoys etc. They somehow figure the danger and they communicate.
Here in Britain, I feel like I could easily walk up to one and club it because they don't feel threatened.
Today I love them and wouldn't even attempt to take them out.
Senior Member
Joined: 02/09/2020
Location: United StatesPosts: 213
| Posted: 01:12am 08 Oct 2025 |
We live in southern California, where corvids are everywhere: Three different species of Jays (elevation-dependent), Crows, and Ravens. My wife has fed mealworms and roasted peanuts to them, and one in particular (a scrubjay) flys in and hangs around whenever she's in the garden. The jay will fly past my wife, and pluck mealworms out of her outstretched hand.
Our car is most often parked in our driveway. We have an open space (Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area) less than a mile / 1.5km away, and the corvids flock to our car whenever we drive there (we have a relatively unobstructed view of SpaceX launches from Vandenberg about 100 miles to the northwest). Somehow word has gone out that we're a potential food source.
Senior Member
Joined: 15/07/2021
Location: AustraliaPosts: 151
| Posted: 06:08am 08 Oct 2025 |
I adopted VS Code as my default editor mainly because it offers the same experience across all the platforms that I run on, Linux, MacOS and Windows. I have taken advantage of some plugins for various retro systems to ease cross-platform development.
I have not tried to setup a tool chain for it myself. I find it more intuitive than many other editors. I can usually follow menus to do many of the uncommon things I do, like column selection. Occasionally I need to Google how to do something.
In the past I have tried to use Eclipse for cross-platform development, but I found it's terminology extremely difficult to understand.
I should point out that my early years of work were in Borland's Turbo Pascal and Turbo C IDEs. I found them very easy to use.