Write guide for setting up VS Code

[victor-almaraz]

Add an article on how to set up VS Code for coursework within the department.

The article should contain the following:

• Setting up space indentation
• Installing C extensions
• Installing Python extensions

In addition to the above, I would suggest including the following:

• A tour of basic features like the explorer and source control panels
• Common shortcuts.
• Setting up line width rulers
• Setting up the default terminal as bash
• Python testing extensions
• GitHub copilot - Students will have access to this feature. I think it is best if we talk about how to use this feature ethically and within the bounds of academic integrity. I am not sure if this should be an article on its own, but for now it can be a subsection in this one.

The official documentation would be a great resource for writing this guide.

[victor-almaraz]

Space Indentation

• We should link the style guide at some point to justify this.
• Tab size: Preferences > Commonly used > Editor: Tab Size
• Tabs as spaces: Preferences > Commonly used > Editor:Insert Spaces

Extensions

• We should make a list of suggested and useful extensions.
• Instructions for this are already in the VS Code+SSH tutorial.

[victor-almaraz]

Basic Features

• Explorer panel: Integrated filesystem explorer showing the working directory. GUI to add, remove, and rename directories and files.
• Source control panel: Integrated SC interface. GUI to use git, with one button actions for staging, committing, pushing, pulling, etc.

Shortcuts

See this documentation

Rulers

Preferences > Settings > Editor:Rulers
Add the following to the settings.json file.

"editor.rulers": [80,120]

"workbench.colorCustomizations": {
    "editorRuler.foreground": "#ff4081"
}

Bash

1. Open the integrated terminal.
2. Click on the drop down next to the plus sign.
3. Click Select Default Profile
4. Select bash.

Python Testing Extension

The Python Testing Extension provides an integrated interface on the panel GUI to run tests with single button presses. See the documentation.

[jamesturk]

I think this is a great idea, as a non-VS code user, I'd be glad to help look at it from the eyes of someone "new" to VS Code.

I wound up here because I am noticing a lot of students have Pylance installed, which by default has auto-import behavior that is not great for new users. It is leading to people submitting assignments with half a dozen imports at the top that aren't intended.

e.g. they try to use a constant named NUMBER, accept the autocompletion and wind up with a from lib2to3.pgen2.token import NUMBER at the top of their file.

So I'd like to suggest that we mention this caveat and recommend disabling that Pylance feature.