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https://github.com/golang/vscode-go

Go extension for Visual Studio Code
https://github.com/golang/vscode-go

debugger golang visual-studio-code vscode vscode-extension

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Go extension for Visual Studio Code

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# Go for Visual Studio Code



[![Slack](https://img.shields.io/badge/slack-gophers-green.svg?style=flat)](https://gophers.slack.com/messages/vscode/)



[The VS Code Go extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=golang.go)

provides rich language support for the

[Go programming language](https://go.dev/).



## Requirements



* Visual Studio Code 1.75 or newer (or editors compatible with VS Code 1.75+ APIs)

* Go 1.18 or newer



## Quick Start



Welcome! 👋🏻


Whether you are new to Go or an experienced Go developer, we hope this

extension fits your needs and enhances your development experience.



1.  Install [Go](https://go.dev) 1.18 or newer if you haven't already.



1.  Install the [VS Code Go extension].



1.  Open any Go file or go.mod file to automatically activate the extension. The

    [Go status bar](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/ui) appears in the

    bottom right corner of the window and displays your Go version.



1.  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 :-)    🎉🎉🎉



## What's next



* Explore more [features][full feature breakdown] of the VS Code Go extension.

* View the

  [settings documentation](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/settings)

	and [advanced topics](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/advanced) to

	customize the extension.

* View the [tools documentation](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/tools)

  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](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/troubleshooting)

	and [debugging troubleshooting](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/debugging#troubleshooting)

	guides.

* [file an issue](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/issues/new/choose) for

  problems with the extension.

* Start a [GitHub discussion](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/discussions)

  or get help on [Stack Overflow].

* Explore Go language resources on [go.dev/learn](https://go.dev/learn) and

  [golang.org/help](https://golang.org/help).



If you are new to Go, [this article](https://golang.org/doc/code.html) 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](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/commands#detailed-list) provided by this

extension.








(Toggle Test File)



**⚠️ Note**: the default syntax highlighting for Go files is provided by a

[TextMate rule](https://github.com/jeff-hykin/better-go-syntax) embedded in VS

Code, not by this extension.



For better syntax highlighting, we recommend enabling

[semantic highlighting](https://code.visualstudio.com/api/language-extensions/semantic-highlight-guide)

by turning on [Gopls' `ui.semanticTokens` setting](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/settings#uisemantictokens).

    ```

    "gopls": { "ui.semanticTokens": true }

    ```



## Setting up your workspace



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



[Go modules](https://golang.org/ref/mod) 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](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/nightly).



## Telemetry



VS Code Go extension relies on the [Go Telemetry](https://go.dev/doc/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](https://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](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3AautomatedReport)

  in VS Code, we've seen several crashers go unreported for weeks or months.

- Even with [a suite of

  benchmarks](https://perf.golang.org/dashboard/?benchmark=all&repository=tools&branch=release-branch.go1.20),

  some performance regressions don't show up in our benchmark environment (such

  as the [completion bug](https://go.dev/issue/62665) mentioned below!).

- Even with [lots of great

  ideas](https://github.com/golang/go/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Agopls+label%3Afeaturerequest)

  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](https://research.swtch.com/telemetry-uses) contains many more.



Go telemetry is designed to be transparent and privacy-preserving. Learn more at

[https://go.dev/doc/telemetry](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](https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/contributing) 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](https://golang.org/conduct). If you encounter a

conduct-related issue, please mail [email protected].



## License



[MIT](LICENSE)



[Stack Overflow]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/go+visual-studio-code

[`gopls`]: https://golang.org/s/gopls

[`go`]: https://golang.org/cmd/go

[Managing extensions in VS Code]: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/extension-gallery

[VS Code Go extension]: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=golang.go

[Go installation guide]: https://golang.org/doc/install

["Getting started with VS Code Go"]: https://youtu.be/1MXIGYrMk80

[IntelliSense]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/features#intellisense

[Code navigation]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/features#code-navigation

[Code editing]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/features#code-editing

[diagnostics]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/features#diagnostics

[testing]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/features#run-and-test-in-the-editor

[debugging]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/debugging#features

[full feature breakdown]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/features

[workspace documentation]: https://github.com/golang/tools/blob/master/gopls/doc/workspace.md

[`Go: Install/Update Tools` command]: https://github.com/golang/vscode-go/wiki/commands#go-installupdate-tools

[Supported workspace layouts documentation]: https://github.com/golang/tools/blob/master/gopls/doc/workspace.md

[Workspace Folders]: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/multi-root-workspaces