 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : VS Code editor
| Author | Message | ||||
| zeitfest Guru  Joined: 31/07/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 609 |
There is a code editor "VS Code" which apparently can be set up for many languages etc, looks pretty popular. Any impressions ? |
||||
| EDNEDN Senior Member  Joined: 18/02/2023 Location: United StatesPosts: 185 |
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. |
||||
| Andy-g0poy Regular Member  Joined: 07/03/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 78 |
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 |
||||
| EDNEDN Senior Member Joined: 18/02/2023 Location: United StatesPosts: 185 |
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. |
||||
karlelch Senior Member Joined: 30/10/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 255 |
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 |
||||
LeoNicolas Guru Joined: 07/10/2020 Location: CanadaPosts: 514 |
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. |
||||
| karlelch Senior Member Joined: 30/10/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 255 |
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 |
||||
Bill.b Senior Member Joined: 25/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 239 |
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. In the interests of the environment, this post has been constructed entirely from recycled electrons. |
||||
| zeitfest Guru Joined: 31/07/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 609 |
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) ? |
||||
Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8173 |
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 :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
| karlelch Senior Member Joined: 30/10/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 255 |
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). |
||||
| karlelch Senior Member Joined: 30/10/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 255 |
@Bill.b Nice dog! |
||||
| pwillard Guru Joined: 07/06/2022 Location: United StatesPosts: 317 |
I dunno, I sort of use it for everything. |
||||
| Bill.b Senior Member Joined: 25/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 239 |
unfortunately he passe away last June aged 13.5 years. Bill In the interests of the environment, this post has been constructed entirely from recycled electrons. |
||||
| karlelch Senior Member Joined: 30/10/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 255 |
Sorry to hear that. Been there too often already. Best Thomas |
||||
| zeitfest Guru Joined: 31/07/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 609 |
(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 |
||||
| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1576 |
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. |
||||
NPHighview Senior Member Joined: 02/09/2020 Location: United StatesPosts: 209 |
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. Live in the Future. It's Just Starting Now! |
||||
Hawk Senior Member Joined: 15/07/2021 Location: AustraliaPosts: 151 |
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. |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
