VS Code extension

The G# VS Code extension provides language registration, syntax highlighting, snippets, themes, language-server integration, build/run commands, task definitions, and debugger configuration for .gs and .gsproj files.

Install

The extension is published on the Visual Studio Marketplace. Install it from the Extensions view in VS Code (search for "G#"), or from the command line:

code --install-extension gsharplang.vscode-gsharp

Activation and file types

The extension activates when you open a G# file, when a workspace contains .gs or .gsproj files, when G# debug configuration is resolved, or when the restart-server command is invoked. It registers:

• language ID gsharp for .gs files, with aliases GSharp and G#;
• .gsproj as XML so project files get XML editing support;
• TextMate scope source.gsharp for syntax highlighting;
• breakpoint support for G# source files.

Editor features

Rich language features come from the G# Language Server over LSP. In current source, the extension is a thin client and the server advertises diagnostics, hover, definition, type definition, implementation, references, document highlights, document symbols, workspace symbols, whole-document formatting, folding, selection ranges, linked editing, completion, signature help, rename, code actions, code lenses, semantic tokens, and inlay hints. Range formatting and on-type formatting are intentionally not advertised.

For .gs files the extension enables quick suggestions by default, so completions appear while typing identifiers, keywords, and member names; the server still advertises . as its only completion trigger character.

The extension also contributes snippets and six color themes inspired by the G# logo's amber-to-red palette: GSharp Ember, GSharp Magma, and GSharp Synthwave, each in a Dark and a Light variant. Dark variants use neon-on-dark accents while light variants use deep, high-contrast hues, and all of them theme the editor, explorer/sidebar, tab bar, activity bar, and status bar for a cohesive look.

Settings

The extension contributes these settings:

Setting	Default	Meaning
gsharp.server.path	empty	Path to a G# Language Server executable. Empty means use the bundled server.
gsharp.server.startTimeout	30000	Milliseconds to wait for server startup.
gsharp.server.waitForDebugger	false	Passes the server debug option when starting the language server.
gsharp.server.log	false	Enables language-server protocol logging.
gsharp.server.logPath	empty	Optional log path. Empty lets the server choose its default log path.
gsharp.trace.server	off	VS Code language-client tracing: off, messages, or verbose.
gsharp.formatting.indentSize	4	Intended indentation size setting. Current server formatting uses its own implementation.
gsharp.formatting.useTabs	false	Intended tabs/spaces setting. Current server formatting uses its own implementation.
gsharp.diagnostics.enableOnType	true	Intended on-type diagnostics control.
gsharp.completion.triggerOnDot	true	Intended dot-trigger completion control.
gsharp.codeLens.enableReferences	true	Intended reference CodeLens control.
gsharp.inlayHints.enableParameterNames	true	Intended parameter-name hint control.
gsharp.inlayHints.enableTypeHints	true	Intended type-hint control.
gsharp.coldStartCache.enable	true	Enables the generated per-project <AssemblyName>.gsproj.lscache used by the language server to speed cold starts and bootstrap references after clean/fresh clones. Restart the server after changing it.

settings.json

{
  "gsharp.server.log": true,
  "gsharp.trace.server": "messages",
  "gsharp.server.path": ""
}

Commands

The extension contributes these command IDs and titles:

Command ID	Title
gsharp.restartServer	GSharp: Restart Language Server
gsharp.openOutput	GSharp: Show Output Channel
gsharp.buildProject	GSharp: Build Project
gsharp.runProject	GSharp: Run Project
gsharp.test.runInContext	GSharp: Run Tests at Cursor
gsharp.test.debugInContext	GSharp: Debug Tests at Cursor
gsharp.generateAssets	GSharp: Generate Build & Debug Assets
gsharp.fixAll.document	GSharp: Fix All (Document)
gsharp.fixAll.project	GSharp: Fix All (Project)
gsharp.reportIssue	GSharp: Report Issue

The default keybinding maps Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows/Linux and Cmd+Shift+B on macOS to gsharp.buildProject when the active editor is G#.

Tasks

The extension contributes a gsharp task type with task values build, run, test, and clean, plus an optional project path.

tasks.json

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "build G# project",
      "type": "gsharp",
      "task": "build",
      "project": "MyApp.gsproj"
    }
  ]
}

Debugging

G# emits normal managed .NET assemblies and Portable PDBs, so VS Code debugging uses the .NET CoreCLR debugger (vsdbg). The extension contributes a gsharp debug type but resolves launch configurations to coreclr with a .dll program path.

launch.json

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Launch GSharp App",
      "type": "coreclr",
      "request": "launch",
      "preLaunchTask": "dotnet: build",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/Debug/net10.0/MyApp.dll",
      "args": [],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "console": "integratedTerminal",
      "stopAtEntry": false
    }
  ]
}

Install the .NET runtime/debugger dependencies required by your VS Code environment, build with Portable PDBs, then set breakpoints in .gs files as usual.