VS Code Setup Guide

This guide explains how to set up and use Visual Studio Code for developing the Weather CLI C++ project.

Prerequisites

1. Install VS Code

Download and install VS Code:

Download VS Code

2. Install Required Extensions

When you open the project in VS Code, you'll be prompted to install recommended extensions. Click Install All or install them manually:

Required:

C/C++ (ms-vscode.cpptools) - IntelliSense, debugging, code browsing
CMake Tools (ms-vscode.cmake-tools) - CMake integration
CMake (twxs.cmake) - CMake language support

Recommended:

GitHub Copilot (github.copilot) - AI pair programming
GitHub Copilot Chat (github.copilot-chat) - AI chat assistant

3. Platform-Specific Requirements

macOS:

brew install cmake
xcode-select --install  # For C++ compiler

Linux:

sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake gdb

Windows:

CMake 3.20+, MinGW GCC, libcurl (auto-installed by scripts\setup-windows.bat)
Or manually: choco install mingw cmake curl

Opening the Project

Open VS Code
File → Open Folder...
Select copilot-cpp directory
When prompted, install recommended extensions
CMake Tools will auto-configure the project

Building the Project

Method 1: Using CMake Tools Extension (Recommended)

Configure:

Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
Type "CMake: Configure"
Select your compiler kit (e.g., GCC, Clang, or Visual Studio)

Build:

Press Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P
Type "CMake: Build"
Or click Build in the status bar

Quick Build:

Press Cmd+Shift+B (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+B (Windows/Linux)
Select "CMake: Build"

Method 2: Using Tasks

Press Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P and run:

Tasks: Run Build Task → "CMake: Build"
Tasks: Run Task → "CMake: Clean Rebuild" (clean build)

Method 3: Using the integrated terminal

Open integrated terminal (`Ctrl+``) and run:

# macOS/Linux
make build

# Windows
mingw32-make build

Running the Application

From VS Code UI

Open src/main.cpp
Press F5 or click Run → Start Debugging
Select debug configuration:
- Debug Weather CLI (macOS/Linux)
- Debug Weather CLI (Windows)

From Tasks

Press Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P:

Tasks: Run Task → "Run Weather CLI"

This will build and run with default city (London).

From Terminal

# macOS/Linux
./build/weather_cli London

# Windows
.\build\weather_cli.exe London

Debugging

Debug Main Application

Set breakpoints by clicking left of line numbers
Press F5 to start debugging
Choose configuration:
- Debug Weather CLI (macOS/Linux)
- Debug Weather CLI (Windows)

Debug with different city:

Edit .vscode/launch.json
Change "args": ["London"] to your city
Save and press F5

Debug Tests

Open a test file (e.g., tests/test_weather_service.cpp)
Set breakpoints
Press F5 and select:
- Debug Tests (macOS/Linux)
- Debug Tests (Windows)

Debug specific test:

Press F5 and select Debug Current Test
Enter test filter (e.g., WeatherServiceTest.*)

Debug Controls

F5 - Start/Continue
F10 - Step Over
F11 - Step Into
Shift+F11 - Step Out
Shift+F5 - Stop

Running Tests

Using CMake Tools

Click Testing icon in sidebar (flask icon)
View all tests in Test Explorer
Click ▶️ next to a test to run it
Right-click → Debug Test to debug

Using Tasks

Press Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P:

Tasks: Run Task → "CTest: Run All Tests"

From Terminal

# macOS/Linux
ctest --test-dir build -V --output-on-failure

# Windows
ctest --test-dir build -C Debug -V --output-on-failure

IntelliSense Configuration

IntelliSense is auto-configured via CMake Tools. If you see errors:

Press Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P
Run "CMake: Configure"
Run "C/C++: Reset IntelliSense Database"

Manual configuration (if needed):

Edit .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json
Add missing include paths

Keyboard Shortcuts

Building & Running

Cmd+Shift+B / Ctrl+Shift+B - Build
F5 - Start Debugging
Ctrl+F5 - Run Without Debugging

Navigation

Cmd+P / Ctrl+P - Quick file open
F12 - Go to Definition
Shift+F12 - Find All References
Alt+Left/Right - Navigate Back/Forward

Editing

Cmd+/ / Ctrl+/ - Toggle Comment
Shift+Alt+F - Format Document
F2 - Rename Symbol

Terminal

`Ctrl+`` - Toggle Terminal
Cmd+Shift+\`` / Ctrl+Shift+`` - New Terminal

Code Formatting

Auto-format on save

Already enabled in .vscode/settings.json:

"editor.formatOnSave": true

Manual formatting

Format current file:

Press Shift+Alt+F (macOS: Shift+Option+F)

Format all files:

Run task: "Format Code (clang-format)"

CMake Configuration

Configure build type

Edit .vscode/settings.json:

"cmake.configureSettings": {
    "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "Debug",  // or "Release"
    "BUILD_TESTS": "ON"
}

Select compiler kit

Click CMake kit in status bar
Choose compiler:
- GCC (Linux)
- Clang (macOS/Linux)
- GCC (MinGW) (Windows)

Windows-specific: MinGW setup

Windows uses MinGW GCC with the Unix Makefiles generator. No manual configuration is needed after running scripts\setup-windows.bat.

If CMake Tools prompts for a kit, select GCC (the MinGW one). The kit scan finds g++.exe automatically once MinGW is on your PATH.

Common Issues

Issue: IntelliSense shows red squiggles

Solution:

Build the project first: Cmd+Shift+B
CMake will fetch dependencies
Run "CMake: Configure"
Restart VS Code if needed

Issue: "No kit selected"

Solution:

Click No Kit Selected in status bar
Choose appropriate compiler kit
Or run "CMake: Select a Kit" from command palette

Issue: Windows build fails

Solution:

Run setup script: scripts\setup-windows.bat (as Administrator)
Or manually: choco install mingw cmake curl
See WINDOWS_GETTING_STARTED.md for full troubleshooting

Issue: Tests not showing in Test Explorer

Solution:

Build the project first
Enable test explorer in settings:
```
"cmake.testExplorer.enabled": true
```
Reload VS Code

Issue: Debugger won't start

Solution:

Build project first: Ctrl+Shift+B
Check the executable exists:
- macOS/Linux: build/weather_cli
- Windows: build\weather_cli.exe
Verify the launch configuration in .vscode/launch.json

Project Structure in VS Code

copilot-cpp/
├── .vscode/                      📁 VS Code configuration
│   ├── c_cpp_properties.json    # IntelliSense config
│   ├── settings.json            # Workspace settings
│   ├── tasks.json               # Build tasks
│   ├── launch.json              # Debug configurations
│   └── extensions.json          # Recommended extensions
├── include/                      📁 Header files
├── src/                          📁 Source files
├── tests/                        📁 Test files
└── CMakeLists.txt               📄 Build configuration

Best Practices

1. Use Integrated Terminal

Access via `Ctrl+``
Automatically uses correct environment

2. Enable Auto-save

Add to settings:

"files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
"files.autoSaveDelay": 1000

3. Use Tasks for Repetitive Commands

Pre-configured in .vscode/tasks.json
Access via Cmd+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task"

4. Use Git Integration

Source Control panel (Ctrl+Shift+G)
Stage, commit, and push from UI

5. Use Copilot for Coding

Ask questions via Copilot Chat (Cmd+I / Ctrl+I)
Get code suggestions as you type
Follow project instructions in .github/copilot-instructions.md

Multi-Platform Development

Switching between platforms

On macOS/Linux:

make build

On Windows:

mingw32-make build

VS Code automatically uses the correct CMake configuration based on your OS.

Platform-specific settings

Settings in .vscode/settings.json adapt automatically:

Compiler paths
Include directories
Build configurations

Advanced Features

Code Navigation

Find all usages:

Right-click on symbol
Select "Find All References"

Go to definition:

Click while holding Cmd (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows/Linux)
Or press F12

Peek Definition

Press Alt+F12 to peek without leaving current file

Rename Symbol

Select symbol
Press F2
Enter new name
All references updated automatically

Code Actions

Click 💡 lightbulb icon
Or press Cmd+. / Ctrl+.
Quick fixes and refactorings

Next Steps

Build the project: Press Cmd+Shift+B
Run tests: Open Test Explorer and click ▶️
Debug application: Press F5
Explore code: Use Cmd+P to jump to files
Ask Copilot: Use Copilot Chat for coding help

Additional Resources

Support

For project-specific questions:

See README.md
See WINDOWS_GETTING_STARTED.md for Windows setup and troubleshooting

For VS Code issues:

Check VS Code C++ FAQ
Open issue on GitHub

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VS Code Setup Guide

Prerequisites

1. Install VS Code

2. Install Required Extensions

3. Platform-Specific Requirements

Opening the Project

Building the Project

Method 1: Using CMake Tools Extension (Recommended)

Method 2: Using Tasks

Method 3: Using the integrated terminal

Running the Application

From VS Code UI

From Tasks

From Terminal

Debugging

Debug Main Application

Debug Tests

Debug Controls

Running Tests

Using CMake Tools

Using Tasks

From Terminal

IntelliSense Configuration

Keyboard Shortcuts

Building & Running

Navigation

Editing

Terminal

Code Formatting

Auto-format on save

Manual formatting

CMake Configuration

Configure build type

Select compiler kit

Windows-specific: MinGW setup

Common Issues

Issue: IntelliSense shows red squiggles

Issue: "No kit selected"

Issue: Windows build fails

Issue: Tests not showing in Test Explorer

Issue: Debugger won't start

Project Structure in VS Code

Best Practices

1. Use Integrated Terminal

2. Enable Auto-save

3. Use Tasks for Repetitive Commands

4. Use Git Integration

5. Use Copilot for Coding

Multi-Platform Development

Switching between platforms

Platform-specific settings

Advanced Features

Code Navigation

Peek Definition

Rename Symbol

Code Actions

Next Steps

Additional Resources

Support