Running Python Code in Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a popular, lightweight code editor that supports a wide range of programming languages, including Python. In this tutorial, we will explore how to execute Python code from within Visual Studio Code.

Installing the Python Extension

To run Python code in Visual Studio Code, you need to install the Python extension. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Open Visual Studio Code.
2. Click on the Extensions icon in the left sidebar or press Ctrl + Shift + X (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + X (Mac).
3. Search for "Python" in the Extensions marketplace.
4. Select the Python extension from Don Jayamanne and click Install.

Configuring the Debugger

Once you have installed the Python extension, you need to configure the debugger. Here’s how:

1. Open a Python file in Visual Studio Code.
2. Switch to the Debug view by clicking on the bug icon in the left sidebar or pressing Ctrl + Shift + D (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + D (Mac).
3. Click on the gear icon next to the "No Configurations" dropdown and select "Python" from the list.
4. Save the generated launch.json file.

Running Python Code

Now that you have configured the debugger, you can run your Python code by following these steps:

1. Open a Python file in Visual Studio Code.
2. Switch to the Debug view.
3. Select the "Python" configuration from the dropdown menu.
4. Click on the green play button or press F5 to start debugging.

Customizing the Debugger

You can customize the debugger by modifying the launch.json file. Here are some common settings you can change:

• program: The initial file that the debugger starts with.
• pythonPath: The path to your Python interpreter.
• args: Command-line arguments to pass to your Python program.

For example, you can modify the launch.json file as follows:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Python",
            "type": "python",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "pythonPath": "/usr/bin/python3",
            "args": ["--verbose"]
        }
    ]
}

This configuration sets the initial file to the current file, uses the Python 3 interpreter, and passes the --verbose argument to the program.

Tips and Best Practices

• Make sure to add the .vscode/ directory to your .gitignore file to avoid committing IDE-specific files.
• Use the ${file} variable to set the initial file to the current file.
• Use the ${workspaceRoot} variable to set the working directory to the root of your project.

By following this tutorial, you should now be able to run Python code from within Visual Studio Code. Happy coding!