visual studio [VS CODE] Tutorial: how to config VS Code for Arma 3 (2024)

[thy_ 131]

Hey there, tudo bem com você? 😄

 

Just sharing with you all my configs for Visual Studio Code (VS Code), a simple and feasible coding tool for Arma 3, even in 2023 where, if you already tried to use some available extensions, may be frustrating.  If you got some smart stuff to VS Code, please, be kind and share it here 😉

 

VS Code here on my end:

 

VS Code > tool download (free):

• https://code.visualstudio.com/download (Win/Linux/Mac)

 

VS Code > Essential extensions for Arma 3:

• SQF-VM Language Server by SQF-VM https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=SQF-VM.sqf-vm-language-server
• SQF Language Updated by blackfisch https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=blackfisch.sqf-language
• SQFLint by SkaceKachna https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=skacekachna.sqflint
• SQF Wiki by Eelis Lynne https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=EelisLynne.sqf-wiki

 

VS Code > extensions recommended:

• Theme: Atom One Dark Theme https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=akamud.vscode-theme-onedark

 

VS Code > My customs to help for ARMA:

1. Ctrl + Shift + P (Not working for you? Troubleshooting down below)
2. Type "settings.json" (no quotes) and select "Open USER settings (json)"; 
3. Adapt the code below for your like:

 

{
    "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
        "editor.selectionBackground": "#E5FFE6",
        "editor.selectionHighlightBackground": "#E5FFE6",
        "editor.findMatchBackground": "#818181", //Current SEARCH MATCH
        "editor.findMatchHighlightBackground": "#818181" //Other SEARCH MATCHES
    },
    "sqf.enableCBA": true,
    "sqf.enableACE3": true,
    "workbench.iconTheme": null,
    "workbench.colorTheme": "Atom One Dark",
    "editor.minimap.enabled": false,
    "breadcrumbs.enabled": false,
    "editor.renderWhitespace": "all",
    "workbench.activityBar.visible": false,
    "zenMode.hideLineNumbers": false,
    "security.workspace.trust.untrustedFiles": "open",
    "editor.wordWrap": "on",
    "diffEditor.wordWrap": "on",
    "files.autoSaveDelay": 5000,
    "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
        "[Atom One Dark]": {
            "variables": "#eb54de",
            "functions": "#ff9b58",
            "numbers": "#49f5b3",
            "strings": "#70fa20",
            "keywords": "#fc6620",
            "comments": "#505050",
            "types": "#0004ff",
            "textMateRules": [
                {
                    "scope": ["constant.other"],
                    "settings": {
                        "foreground": "#1400c4"
                    } 
                },
                {
                    "scope": ["support.function"],
                    "settings": {
                        "foreground": "#fff5cb",
                        "fontStyle": "italic"
                    } 
                },
                {
                    "scope": ["keyword.operator"],
                    "settings": {
                        "foreground": "#7ee9fc",
                        "fontStyle": "bold"
                    } 
                },
                {
                    "scope": ["variable.language"],
                    "settings": {
                        "foreground": "#a13140"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "scope": ["meta.function-call"],
                    "settings": {
                        "foreground": "#fc6620"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "scope": ["punctuation.terminator"],
                    "settings": {
                        "foreground": "#ffffff"
                    } 
                },
            ]
        }
    },
    "editor.semanticHighlighting.enabled": true,
    "editor.semanticTokenColorCustomizations": {
        "[Atom One Dark]": {
            "enabled": true,
            "rules": {
                "*.declaration": { "bold": true }
            }
        }
    },
    "files.associations": {
        "*.json": "jsonc",
        "*.sqf": "sqf"
    },
    "C_Cpp.autocompleteAddParentheses": true,
    "sqflint.checkPaths": true,
    "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
    "settingsSync.ignoredSettings": [
    
    ],
    "workbench.startupEditor": "none",
    "explorer.confirmDelete": false,
    "explorer.confirmDragAndDrop": false,
    "sqflint.warnings": false,
    "cmake.parseBuildDiagnostics": false,
    "editor.inlayHints.enabled": false,
    //"window.menuBarVisibility": "toggle",
    "editor.hover.delay": 2500
}

 

Share your thoughts and exp 😉

- - - - - - - - - - -

Troubleshooting > Can't find out the settings.json?
 

1. Go to Preferences, pressing Ctrl + ,  (control + comma)
2. Scroll to "Files: Associations"
3. Add both items down below:
   
    
4. Try again the Ctrl+Shift+P. If not working yet, let's try this:
5. Go to Preferences again, pressing Ctrl + ,  (control + comma)
6. Type "Theme";
7. In the result list, find out "Edit in settings.json".
   
    
8. Now you are ready to customize the VSC colors.

 

 

[R3vo 2652]

Thanks for sharing. Here are three more extensions that I find really useful.

 

Tyriar.sort-lines (Sort lines with various settings)

moshfeu.diff-merge (Compare two files and merge differences)

bux578.vscode-openlastrpt (Opens latest RPT with ALT + R)

[thy_ 131]

On 9/3/2022 at 3:22 PM, R3vo said:

Thanks for sharing. Here are three more extensions that I find really useful.

 

Tyriar.sort-lines (Sort lines with various settings)

moshfeu.diff-merge (Compare two files and merge differences)

bux578.vscode-openlastrpt (Opens latest RPT with ALT + R)

 

😉

[thy_ 131]

Added in main post code block the "selectionHighlightBackground" customization 😉 Cheers!

[thy_ 131]

Added in the main topic message: Troubleshooting > Can't find out the settings.json?

😎

[thy_ 131]

Included the line below (already in the main post) setting a good delay to avoid at most (without losing the feature) that pop-up with a lot of info when we hover a variable with the mouse.

"editor.hover.delay": 2500  // default is 300.

 

[thy_ 131]

Included in the main post the line below that prevents the VS Code from showing annoying label hints with each variable:

"editor.inlayHints.enabled": false,

 

[Dedmen 2588]

I currently mainly use the SQFLint that you have listed (Though the SQF-VM LS should be much better, but i didn't switch to it yet), and the Debugger https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=billw2011.sqf-debugger

The debugger brings SQF development into the 20th century.