VSCode

VSCode

Visual Studio Code, or VSCode, is a source code editor/IDE that may be used with various languages (a few include C#, C++, Python, Ruby, Rust, Java, JavaScript, Julia, HTML). VSCode can be used via Open OnDemand.

Open OnDemand

Open OnDemand is a web-based service that allows users to run software with a graphical user interface (GUI) such as VSCode. Please see our wiki page on Open OnDemand here to learn more. The Open OnDemand web browser is here

Opening VSCode IDE/Editor

• The first step is to go to Open OnDemand and click on Interactive Apps in the top bar. Click on VSCode under "Servers".

• This will open a page where you can specify various computational resources to be used in the VSCode job.

• You can also specify a particular workspace under Load existing VSCode workspace. The default for this is /home/MyID and can be changed by clicking "Select Path"
• If you would like to setup your environment in VSCode by sourcing a shell or bash script, you can do so by specifying the absolute path to the script in the Environment Setup Script

• Clicking on "Launch" will queue up the job and take you to the Interactive Sessions page. You will see your VSCode job appear like below.

• When the resources have been allocated, you will be able to click "Connect" to start the VSCode session.

Using the VSCode IDE/Editor

• After you click "Connect", the VSCode IDE will open in a new tab.
• In the VSCode IDE, you can create a file (and save it to a specific location on the cluster), or open a workspace (default will be /home/MyID) and create a file there.
• To create a file for a specific coding language:
  • Hover over the Open Editors bar and click "Open new text file"
  • Click on "Select a language" and choose whichever language you want your code to be interpreted in.
  • Your file will automatically have the file suffix that goes with the language you chose.
• To run code in the terminal:
  • The code file must be saved (to a location on the cluster) before you can run it in the terminal.
  • To open the terminal click the menu button in the top left, then View, then Terminal and a terminal window will open in the bottom half of the screen.
  • To run the file you have currently open, click the menu, then Terminal, then Run Active File
• You can also install extensions through VSCode. To do so:
  • Click the extensions button on the left, a few down from the menu button.
  • An extensions menu will open that allows you to search for extensions and manage what you have installed or enabled/disabled.
  • Extensions are installed to /home/MyID/.local/share/code-server/extensions
  • The extensions you install will be available to you every time you open a new VSCode session

Potential Issues

• If you accidentally close the tab containing the VSCode IDE and want to get it back:
  • As long as the job is still running in Open OnDemand, you can reopen your session exactly as it was when the browser was closed (tabs and files you had open will still be there).
  • Simply go back to the My Interactive Sessions page in Open OnDemand and click "Connect" again.
    • If the "Connect" button is no longer there, your job ran out of time and you need to start a new one. Doing so will open a new VSCode IDE (files and tabs you had open will NOT be there, you need to reopen anything you had open before).
• If you get a browser in VSCode that asks you to login and requests a password (see below), simply close the tab and reopen VSCode by clicking on the "Connect" button under the My Interactive Sessions page in OOD.