Setting up Visual Studio Code for Python

In this post, you’ll learn Setting up Visual Studio Code for Python development,from installation to configuration.

Setting up Visual Studio Code for Python

Getting Started

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a lightweight yet powerful source code editor developed by Microsoft. It’s one of the most popular tools for Python development due to its speed, flexibility, and vast extension ecosystem.

Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• Install Visual Studio Code
• Install Python

The following action we will perform here

1. Install the Python Extension for VS Code
2. Configure the Python Interpreter
3. Set Up a Virtual Environment
4. Set Up Linting and Formatting
5. Set Up Debugging

Install the Python Extension for VS Code

1. Open VS Code.
2. Go to the Extensions view by clicking on the square icon on the sidebar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+X.
3. Search for "Python" and install the one published by Microsoft. This extension provides:
   • Syntax highlighting
   • IntelliSense (auto-completion)
   • Code linting
   • Debugging tools
   • Jupyter notebook support

Configure the Python Interpreter

1. Open the Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac).
2. Type and select: Python: Select Interpreter.
3. Choose the version of Python you want to use (usually shows up with the path and version).
4. If you're using a virtual environment, make sure it's activated before selecting.

Set Up a Virtual Environment

1. Create a virtual environment:

    # For Windows  
    python -m venv venv  
    # For macOS/Linux  
    python3 -m venv venv  
   

2. Activate it:
   • Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   • Mac/Linux: source venv/bin/activate
3. VS Code will automatically detect and suggest using the virtual environment.

Set Up Linting and Formatting

1. Install a formatter like black or autopep8:

    pip install black  
   

2. Then go to Settings in VS Code:
   • Search for Format On Save and enable it.
   • Under Python formatting provider, choose "black".
3. Install a linter like pylint for linting:

    pip install pylint  
   

4. VS Code will detect it and show warnings/errors in your code.

Set Up Debugging

1. Open your Python project in VS Code.
2. Go to the Run and Debug sidebar (or press Ctrl+Shift+D).
3. Click “create a launch.json file” (if it doesn’t exist yet).
4. Choose "Python" from the environment options.

Summary

You’re now all set to write Python code in a professional, efficient, and productive environment using Visual Studio Code. With the right configuration and extensions, VS Code becomes a powerful tool for everything from quick scripts to full-scale Python applications.

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