View source for Developing Cortex M3 Applications Using Visual Studio Code

__NOTOC__
== Developing Cortex M3/M4 Applications Using Visual Studio Code ==
[https://code.visualstudio.com/ Visual Studio Code] can be used to edit the source code, build the application and finally debug it.

== Required Software Components ==
In contrast to fully integrated IDEs, setting up [https://code.visualstudio.com/ Visual Studio Code] (short. '''VSCode''') requires you to setup a number of software packages, which finally work together to build the complete development environment. The software packages can be split into three groups:

# VSCode and plugins
# ARM Build Tools (compiler etc.)
# Debug tools

The packages can be installed in any order (well, almost: [https://code.visualstudio.com/ VSCode] must be installed before [https://code.visualstudio.com/ VSCode] plugins can be installed). Understanding the purpose of individual components helps to debug potential problems and understand the behavior of the system.

== 1. Visual Studio Code and Plugins ==

=== Visual Studio Code ===
We can look at [https://code.visualstudio.com/ VSCode] as an intelligent text editor which provides an extensive framework to add functionality through plugins. [https://code.visualstudio.com/ VSCode] includes a project explorer, which can show the contents of one or multiple folders as a workspace. There is more information on required plugins further down in this list.

=== Required Plugins ===
==== C/C++: ====
This plugin offers many features to simplify editing of C/C++ code, including Syntax highlighting, Intellisense (finding definitions of symbols), auto-completion of keywords and identifier names, and marking syntax errors while typing.

==== Cortex-Debug: ====
This plugin adds support for debugging ARM executable through a GDB Server.

==== ARM: ====
Syntax highlighting for ARM assembly code

==== Linker Script: ====
Syntax highlighting for linker scripts

=== 2. ARM Build Tools ===
==== GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain: ====
[https://developer.arm.com/tools-and-software/open-source-software/developer-tools/gnu-toolchain/gnu-rm GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain] is the C/C++ compiler and linker along with additional tools. It is used to turn your source code into a binary executable.

==== CMake: ====
CMake is a tool which turns compiler-independent project definitions into compiler-specific project definitions. NXP provides such independent project definitions in CMakeLists.txt files. CMake converts these into makefiles that can be processed by the [https://developer.arm.com/tools-and-software/open-source-software/developer-tools/gnu-toolchain/gnu-rm GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain].

=== 3. Debugger Tools ===
==== OpenOCD: (for generic hardware debugger) ====
 
[http://openocd.org/ OpenOCD] is an open-source debugger, supporting a wide variety of JTAG hardware interfaces. For customers using a JTAG adapter other than the J-Link, this probably is the matching software. The package contains a GDB server, which connects to [https://code.visualstudio.com/ VSCode] on one side, and to the J-Link JTAG/SWD hardware on the other side.

=== 4. Installation Steps for Linux machines ===
* Please follow this <span style=""><font size="+0.5">[[EmSys:Setting up Embedded ARM Lab#4. Install Visual Studio Code | link]]</font></span> to install Visual Studio Code Application.
* For more options, please refer to the [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux Visual Studio Code setup page].

=== 5. Installing Visual Studio Code Plugins ===
The easiest way is to install them from the command prompt inside the IDE:
 code --install-extension ms-vscode.cpptools
 code --install-extension metalcode-eu 
 code --install-extension marus25.cortex-debug
 code --install-extension twxs.cmake
 code --install-extension dan-c-underwood.arm
 code --install-extension zixuanwang.linkerscript

Or we can use in the IDE the menu <big>View > Extensions</big>.
# Open VSCode
# Select <big>View → Extensions</big>
#: This will show the Extension sidebar
# In the search box above the Extension sidebar, type the '''Code name''' from the below table (without the  angle brackets) or another reasonable search term
# Click on the little green '''Install''' button which appears next to the found plugin


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto; border-style: solid; border-width: 4px"
|-
! <center>Icon</center> !! <center>Plugin Name</center> !! <center>Required/Optional</center> !! <center>Code Name</center>
|-
| [[image:vscode_plugin_c_cpp.png|80px]] || C/C++ || Required || ms-vscode.cpptools
|-
| [[image:vscode_plugin_linux_arm_none_eabi.png|80px]] || linux-arm-none-eabi || Required || metalcode-eu
|-
| [[image:vscode_plugin_cortex-debug.png|80px]] || Cortex-Debug || Required || marus25.cortex-debug
|-
| [[image:vscode_plugin_CMake_Syntax_Highlighting.png|80px]] || CMake Syntax Highlighting || Optional || twxs.cmake
|-
| [[image:vscode_plugin_ARM_Assembly_highlighting.png|80px]] || ARM Assembly highlighting || Optional || dan-c-underwood.arm
|-
| [[image:vscode_plugin_Linker_Script.png|80px]] || Language support for GNU linker script || Optional || Zixuan Wang
|}


Below is our  installed extensions (menu <big>File > Preferences > Extensions</big>):

[[image:vscode_armdev_plugins.png|center]]

== Chocolatey ==
<big>The Windows versions of Build/Debug Tools will be installed using</big> [https://docs.chocolatey.org/en-us/ CHOCOLATEY] - SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT FOR WINDOWS

== 6a. Installing Build Tools (Ubuntu) ==
* GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain
*: Please follow this <span style=""><font size="+0.5">[https://developer.arm.com/tools-and-software/open-source-software/developer-tools/gnu-toolchain/gnu-rm/downloads link] to install GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain
* Make and CMake : 
 $ sudo apt-get update
 $ sudo apt-get install make cmake

== 6b. Installing Build Tools (Windows) ==
* GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain
 > choco install gcc-arm-embedded

* Make
 > choco install make

* CMake
 > choco install cmake

== 7a. Installing Debugging Tools (Ubuntu) ==

=== OpenOCD ===
 $ sudo apt-get update
 $ sudo apt-get install openocd

== 7b. Installing Debugging Tools (Windows) ==

=== OpenOCD ===
 > choco install openocd

== See Also ==
* Install/Setup [https://docs.chocolatey.org/en-us/choco/setup Chocolatey] on windows 10
* [[EmSys:Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Include Paths | Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Include Paths]]
* [[EmSys:Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Defines | Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Defines]]
* [[EmSys:Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Build Tasks | Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Build Tasks]]
* [[EmSys:VSCode Cortex-Debug Launch Configurations | VSCode Cortex-Debug Launch Configurations]]