vscode-go

Go extension for Visual Studio Code

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[mirror] This is a linter for Go source code. (deprecated)

Quick Overview

The golang/vscode-go repository is the official Go extension for Visual Studio Code. It provides comprehensive language support for Go programming, including features like IntelliSense, code navigation, debugging, and more. This extension aims to enhance the Go development experience within VS Code.

Pros

Rich feature set including code completion, formatting, and refactoring tools
Seamless integration with Go tools like gofmt, golint, and go test
Regular updates and active maintenance by the Go team and community
Customizable settings to tailor the extension to individual preferences

Cons

Occasional performance issues with large codebases
Some advanced features may require additional setup or configuration
Learning curve for new users to fully utilize all features
Dependency on external Go tools, which may need separate installation

Getting Started

Install Visual Studio Code
Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Go" and install the official Go extension
Open a Go file or project in VS Code
The extension will prompt you to install necessary Go tools
Configure settings in settings.json if needed:

{
    "go.useLanguageServer": true,
    "go.lintTool": "golangci-lint",
    "go.formatTool": "goimports"
}

Start coding with enhanced Go support in VS Code!

Competitor Comparisons

vscode

162,288

Visual Studio Code

Pros of vscode

Broader scope: Supports multiple programming languages and frameworks
Larger community: More contributors, extensions, and frequent updates
Extensive customization: Wide range of themes, settings, and configurations

Cons of vscode

Heavier resource usage: Larger codebase and more features can lead to slower performance
Steeper learning curve: More complex due to its extensive feature set
Less Go-specific optimizations: May require additional setup for optimal Go development

Code comparison

vscode-go (Go-specific functionality):

func (c *Config) Load() error {
    data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(c.filename)
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }
    return json.Unmarshal(data, c)
}

vscode (Language-agnostic approach):

export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
    const config = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration('myExtension');
    const value = config.get('someProperty');
    // Extension-specific logic
}

The vscode-go example shows Go-specific code handling, while the vscode example demonstrates a more generic approach to extension activation and configuration.

tools

7,344

[mirror] Go Tools

Pros of tools

Broader scope, providing a comprehensive set of tools for Go development beyond just VS Code integration
More extensive and mature codebase, offering a wider range of functionalities for Go developers
Can be used independently of any specific IDE or editor

Cons of tools

Requires more setup and configuration to use with specific editors or IDEs
May have a steeper learning curve for developers new to Go tooling

Code comparison

vscode-go:

func (c *Config) GetToolsGopath() string {
    if c.toolsGopath != "" {
        return c.toolsGopath
    }
    return filepath.Join(os.Getenv("GOPATH"), "pkg", "mod", "golang.org", "x", "tools")
}

tools:

func (p *Package) Imports() []*Package {
    seen := make(map[*Package]bool)
    var result []*Package
    for _, imp := range p.imports {
        if !seen[imp] {
            seen[imp] = true
            result = append(result, imp)
        }
    }
    return result
}

The vscode-go example focuses on VS Code-specific configuration, while the tools example demonstrates a more general-purpose package management function.

vim-go

15,951

Go development plugin for Vim

Pros of vim-go

Lightweight and fast, ideal for users who prefer a minimal IDE
Deeper integration with Vim's ecosystem and keybindings
More customizable with Vim's extensive plugin system

Cons of vim-go

Steeper learning curve, especially for those not familiar with Vim
Less intuitive UI compared to VSCode's graphical interface
May require more manual configuration for advanced features

Code Comparison

vim-go:

" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax on

" Enable filetype detection and plugin
filetype plugin on

" Configure vim-go
let g:go_fmt_command = "goimports"
let g:go_auto_type_info = 1

vscode-go:

{
  "go.formatTool": "goimports",
  "go.useLanguageServer": true,
  "go.autocompleteUnimportedPackages": true,
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "[go]": {
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
      "source.organizeImports": true
    }
  }
}

Both plugins offer similar functionality, but vim-go configuration is typically done in Vim's configuration file, while vscode-go uses JSON-based settings. The vscode-go setup is generally more user-friendly, while vim-go offers more fine-grained control for experienced Vim users.

delve

22,734

Delve is a debugger for the Go programming language.

Pros of Delve

Standalone debugger that can be used independently of any IDE
More advanced debugging features, including support for core dumps and remote debugging
Highly extensible and can be integrated into various development environments

Cons of Delve

Steeper learning curve, especially for users new to command-line debugging tools
Requires manual configuration and setup, unlike the more streamlined vscode-go experience

Code Comparison

Delve (command-line usage):

$ dlv debug main.go
(dlv) break main.main
(dlv) continue
(dlv) next
(dlv) print variableName

vscode-go (launch.json configuration):

{
    "type": "go",
    "request": "launch",
    "name": "Debug",
    "program": "${workspaceFolder}/main.go"
}

While Delve offers more flexibility and advanced features, vscode-go provides a more user-friendly experience for Go developers working within Visual Studio Code. Delve's command-line interface allows for precise control over debugging sessions, but may be less intuitive for some users. vscode-go, on the other hand, integrates seamlessly with the VS Code environment, offering a graphical interface for debugging that many developers find more accessible.

lint

3,974

[mirror] This is a linter for Go source code. (deprecated)

Pros of lint

Focused solely on linting, providing a more specialized and potentially more robust linting experience
Can be integrated into various development environments and CI/CD pipelines, not limited to VS Code
Lightweight and can be used as a standalone tool or library

Cons of lint

Lacks the comprehensive Go development features provided by vscode-go
May require additional setup and configuration compared to the out-of-the-box experience of vscode-go
Limited to linting functionality, while vscode-go offers a broader range of tools for Go development

Code Comparison

lint:

package golint

import (
    "go/ast"
    "go/token"
)

func (f *file) lintNames() {
    // Linting logic for names
}

vscode-go:

import * as vscode from 'vscode';
import { GoExtensionContext } from './context';

export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
    // VS Code extension activation logic
}

The code snippets highlight the different focus areas of the two projects. lint is centered around Go-specific linting logic, while vscode-go deals with VS Code extension integration and broader Go development features.

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README

Go for Visual Studio Code

The VS Code Go extension provides rich language support for the Go programming language.

Requirements

Visual Studio Code 1.75 or newer (or editors compatible with VS Code 1.75+ APIs)
Go 1.19 or newer.

Quick Start

Welcome! ðð»
Whether you are new to Go or an experienced Go developer, we hope this extension fits your needs and enhances your development experience.

Install Go 1.19 or newer if you haven't already.
Install the VS Code Go extension.
Open any Go file or go.mod file to automatically activate the extension. The Go status bar appears in the bottom right corner of the window and displays your Go version.
The extension depends on go, gopls (the Go language server), and optional tools depending on your settings. If gopls is missing, the extension will try to install it. The :zap: sign next to the Go version indicates the language server is running, and you are ready to go.

(Install Missing Tools)

You are ready to Go :-) ððð

What's next

Explore more features of the VS Code Go extension.
View the settings documentation and advanced topics to customize the extension.
View the tools documentation for a complete list of tools the VS Code Go extension depends on. You can install additional tools and update them by using "Go: Install/Update Tools".
Solve issues with the general troubleshooting and debugging troubleshooting guides.
file an issue for problems with the extension.
Start a GitHub discussion or get help on Stack Overflow.
Explore Go language resources on go.dev/learn and golang.org/help.

If you are new to Go, this article provides the overview on Go code organization and basic go commands. Watch "Getting started with VS Code Go" for an explanation of how to build your first Go application using VS Code Go.

Feature highlights

IntelliSense - Results appear for symbols as you type.
Code navigation - Jump to or peek at a symbol's declaration.
Code editing - Support for saved snippets, formatting and code organization, and automatic organization of imports.
Diagnostics - Build, vet, and lint errors shown as you type or on save.
Enhanced support for testing and debugging

See the full feature breakdown for more details.

(Code completion and Signature Help)

In addition to integrated editing features, the extension provides several commands for working with Go files. You can access any of these by opening the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Linux/Windows and Cmd+Shift+P on Mac), and then typing in the command name. See the full list of commands provided by this extension.

(Toggle Test File)

â ï¸ Note: the default syntax highlighting for Go files is provided by a TextMate rule embedded in VS Code, not by this extension.

For better syntax highlighting, we recommend enabling semantic highlighting by turning on Gopls' ui.semanticTokens setting. "gopls": { "ui.semanticTokens": true }

Setting up your workspace

The VS Code Go extension supports both GOPATH and Go modules modes.

Go modules are used to manage dependencies in recent versions of Go. Modules replace the GOPATH-based approach to specifying which source files are used in a given build, and they are the default build mode in go1.16+. We highly recommend Go development in module mode. If you are working on existing projects, please consider migrating to modules.

Unlike the traditional GOPATH mode, module mode does not require the workspace to be located under GOPATH nor to use a specific structure. A module is defined by a directory tree of Go source files with a go.mod file in the tree's root directory.

Your project may involve one or more modules. If you are working with multiple modules or uncommon project layouts, you will need to configure your workspace by using Workspace Folders. See the Supported workspace layouts documentation for more information.

Preview version

If you'd like to get early access to new features and bug fixes, you can use the nightly build of this extension. Learn how to install it in by reading the Go Nightly documentation.

Telemetry

VS Code Go extension relies on the Go Telemetry to learn insights about the performance and stability of the extension and the language server (gopls). Go Telemetry data uploading is disabled by default and can be enabled with the following command:

go run golang.org/x/telemetry/cmd/gotelemetry@latest on

After telemetry is enabled, the language server will upload metrics and stack traces to telemetry.go.dev. You can inspect what data is collected and can be uploaded by running:

go run golang.org/x/telemetry/cmd/gotelemetry@latest view

If we get enough adoption, this data can significantly advance the pace of the Go extension development, and help us meet a higher standard of reliability. For example:

Even with semi-automated crash reports in VS Code, we've seen several crashers go unreported for weeks or months.
Even with a suite of benchmarks, some performance regressions don't show up in our benchmark environment (such as the completion bug mentioned below!).
Even with lots of great ideas for how to improve gopls, we have limited resources. Telemetry can help us identify which new features are most important, and which existing features aren't being used or aren't working well.

These are just a few ways that telemetry can improve gopls. The telemetry blog post series contains many more.

Go telemetry is designed to be transparent and privacy-preserving. Learn more at https://go.dev/doc/telemetry.

Contributing

We welcome your contributions and thank you for working to improve the Go development experience in VS Code. If you would like to help work on the VS Code Go extension, see our contribution guide to learn how to build and run the VS Code Go extension locally and contribute to the project.

Code of Conduct

This project follows the Go Community Code of Conduct. If you encounter a conduct-related issue, please mail conduct@golang.org.

License

MIT

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