VS Code Installation Guide for IQ (2nd generation) on a macOS Device – VEX Library

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free code editor that runs on the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. This article is an overview of installing Visual Studio Code and the VEX Visual Studio Code Extension for macOS.

Installing VS Code

Screenshot of the VS Code extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robots, with an emphasis on educational resources and beginner-friendly functionalities.

Open an internet browser and navigate to https://code.visualstudio.com/, the homepage of the VS Code Website. Select the 'Download for Mac Universal' button to start to download the VS Code application for macOS. Wait for the download to finish.

Screenshot of the VS Code extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robots, with highlighted sections for coding, debugging, and project management.

Once the download is complete, open the Finder by select the Finder icon in the Dock.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robotics projects, with a focus on enhancing educational experiences for beginners and educators.

Find the VSCode-darwin-universal.zip file in the Downloads folder by selecting Downloads in the Favorites sidebar.

Screenshot of the VS Code extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming and developing projects with the VEX IQ Robotics platform.

Double-click on the VSCode-darwin-universal.zip file to extract the archived contents if it hasn't been automatically unzipped. The Visual Studio Code application will appear in the Downloads folder.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming and developing projects with the VEX IQ Robotics platform.

Select and drag the Visual Studio Code application to the Applications folder.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to enhance programming and development for the VEX IQ Robotics platform, aimed at educational and beginner robotics users.

Select the Launchpad icon in the Dock.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robotics projects efficiently.

Click on the Visual Studio Code icon to launch Visual Studio Code.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robotics projects, with a focus on educational resources and beginner-friendly programming options.

The VS Code is installed and launched on the computer.

For helpful information about how to install VS Code for macOS, please see the article, Visual Studio Code on macOS, on the VS Code Website.

Installing the VEX Extension, C/C++ Extension, and Python Extension

To develop software using the VEX platform in VS Code, we need to install the VEX Extension, which supports C/C++ and Python programming languages. To enable Intellisense/Linting for both C/C++ and Python, the C/C++ Extension and the Python Extension will need to be installed. The VEX VS Code Extension will set up VEX projects to work with these extensions automatically.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robots, with highlighted options and menus relevant to educational robotics.

Select the Extension icon in the VS Code Activity Bar.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robots effectively.

Type “VEX Robotics” in the Search Bar. The VEX Robotics Extension will appear in the Side Bar below. Select the Install button next to the VEX Robotics Extension to start the installation. Wait for the installation to finish.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robotics projects efficiently.

Once the installation is complete, the Installing button will be replaced with a Manage Gear button, both the VEX Robotics Extension and the VEX Robotics Feedback Extension will be installed, and the VEX icon will appear in the VS Code Activity Bar.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to assist users in programming and developing projects with the VEX IQ Robotics platform.

Type “C/C++” in the Search Bar. The Microsoft C/C++ Extension will appear in the Side Bar below. Select the Install button next to the C/C++ Extension from Microsoft to start the installation. Wait for the installation to finish.

Screenshot of the VS Code Extension for VEX IQ, showcasing the interface and features designed to assist users in programming VEX IQ robots, including code editing tools and project management options.

Once the installation is complete, the Installing button will be replaced with a Manage Gear button.

Screenshot of the VS Code extension interface for VEX IQ, showcasing features and tools designed to aid programming for the VEX IQ Robotics platform, aimed at enhancing educational experiences for beginners and educators.

Type “Python” in the Search Bar. The Microsoft Python Extension will appear in the Side Bar below. Select the Install button next to the Python Extension from Microsoft to start the installation. Wait for the installation to finish.

Once the installation is complete, the Installing button will be replaced with a Manage Gear button

The VEX Extension, the VEX Robotics Feedback Extension, the C/C++ Extension, and the Python Extension are installed and can be found under the 'INSTALLED' category in the Side Bar. For helpful information about how to find, install, and manage VS Code extensions from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace, please see this article on the VS Code Website.