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Python Development with VS Code

VSCode Setup for Python Devs

Section titled “VSCode Setup for Python Devs”

Source:

Prerequisities

Section titled “Prerequisities”
  • Virtual Env
    • Regular venv approach
    • Poetry
    • UV
  • Formatter
    • Ruff
      • Options: Can be installed on OS, VS Code Extension or depency in project to ensure consistency with others
      • Configure with ruff.toml
  • Secondary Langauages
    • TOML
      • e.g. support pyproject.toml, ruff.toml
Section titled “Extension Recommendations and related Language Supports”
  • Ruff
  • Microsoft’s Python Extensions
    • Python
      • Pylance that has Intellisense
    • Debugger
  • Even Better TOML
    • TOML support
  • .vscode folder to share with team to easily share settings and recommended extensions for project:
    • extensions.json
      • Other developers can install in VS Code

Starting project and Structure

Section titled “Starting project and Structure”
Terminal window
# Create project folder, Use version control
mkdir my_project
cd my_project
touch .gitignore
# Use virtual environment/python project, example will use uv
uv init --no-workspace
# README, start py file
mkdir .vscode
touch settings.json
touch extensions.json
# Source code directory
mkdir src
mv hello.py src/main.py
cd src
# Package for importing
touch __init__.py
cd ..
# Unit tests
mkdir tests
touch tests_main.py


cd ..
# Dependencies
## uv will manage Dependencies in pyproject.toml
uv add --dev pytest
  • Note for VS Codes different scopes in order of importance
    • User/profile settings
      • example:
        • window and sidebar locations, theme, font, UI
        • formatters, format on save, operations
    • Workspace settings (override user settings)
    • Folder settings (override workspace settings)
      • Example: project settings
        • Language: tests, environment files, diagnostics, binary like python venv directory

Set up pyproject.toml so tests know about src folder.

  • See uv has added Dependencies
  • pythonpath specifies list of modules for source
    • Allows tests in tests folder to import source in src folder as if it is in the src folder
[project]
name = "vscode-python"
version = "0.1.0"
description = "Add your description here"
readme = "README.md"
requires-python = ">=3.12"
dependencies = [
    "pytest>=8.3.3",
]


[tool.pytest.ini_options]
pythonpath = "src"
  • Project VS Code settings.json to set test and pylance LSP settings so it knows where to find src
{
    // Python settings
    "python.analysis.autoSearchPaths": true,
    "python.analysis.diagnosticSeverityOverrides": {
        "reportMissingImports": "none"
    },
    // Set so Pylance knows source for tests files
    // Add more folders for additional src directories
    "python.analysis.extraPaths": [
        "${workspaceFolder}/src"
    ],
    "python.envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env",
    "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true,
    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
    // Test settings
    "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
    "python.testing.unittestEnabled": false,
    "python.testing.cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/tests",
    "python.testing.pytestPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/pytest",
    "python.testing.autoTestDiscoverOnSaveEnabled": true,
}

More Extensions Recommendations

Section titled “More Extensions Recommendations”
  • GitHub Copilot - artificial intelligence help
  • Better Comments - colouring coding
  • GitHub Actions - CICD
  • Markdown mermaid - diagrams in MD files
  • Postman - for API testing
  • SQLite - working with SQLite
  • Dev Containers - open directories in containers