Install and configure Visual Studio Code for Go development

Article
06/13/2024

In this quickstart, you will install the Go compiler and tools, install Visual Studio Code to write Go code, and install the Go for Visual Studio Code extension which provides support while writing Go. Once configured, you'll create an application, run it, and use the debugging tool to pause execution and observe the value of variables.

1. Install Go

Install Go from the official page. This installs the compiler, the Standard Library, and many tools to perform various common tasks during Go development. To install Go, follow these steps:

In a web browser, go to go.dev/doc/install.
Download the version for your operating system.
Once downloaded, run the installer.
Open a command prompt, then run go version to confirm Go was installed.

2. Install Visual Studio Code

Next, install Visual Studio Code, which provides basic code editing functionality. Follow these steps to install Visual Studio Code:

Open a web browser and go to code.visualstudio.com.
Download the version for your operating system. Visual Studio Code supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Once downloaded, run the installer.

3. Install the Go extension

Install and configure the Go for Visual Studio Code extension. Visual Studio Code and the Go extension provide IntelliSense, code navigation, and advanced debugging.

Instructions	Screenshot
In Visual Studio Code, bring up the Extensions view by clicking on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar. Or use keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+X).
Search for the Go extension, then select install.

4. Update the Go tools

Instructions	Screenshot
In Visual Studio Code, open Command Palette's Help > Show All Commands. Or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P)
Search for `Go: Install/Update tools` then run the command from the pallet
When prompted, select all the available Go tools then select OK.
Wait for the Go tools to finish updating.

5. Write a sample Go program

In this step, you write and run a sample Go program to make sure everything is working correctly.

Instructions	Screenshot
In Visual Studio Code, open the root directory of your Go application. To open the folder, select the Explorer icon in the Activity Bar then select Open Folder.
Select New Folder in the Explorer panel, then Create the root director for your sample Go application named `sample-app`
Select New File in the Explorer panel, then name the file `main.go`
Open a terminal, Terminal > New Terminal, then run the command `go mod init sample-app` to initialize your sample Go app.
Copy the following code into the `main.go` file.

Sample code:

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    name := "Go Developers"
    fmt.Println("Azure for", name)
}

6. Run the debugger

Finally, create a break point and use the debugger tool to step through code line by line and view the values stored in variables while the application is paused.

Instructions	Screenshot
Create a break point on line 7 by clicking to the left of the numbered line. Optionally, place your cursor on line 7 and hit F9.
Open the Debug view by selecting the debug icon in the Activity Bar on the left side of Visual Studio Code. Optionally, use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+D).
Select Run and Debug, or select F5 to run the debugger. Then Hover over the variable `name` on line 7 to see its value. Exit the debugger by clicking Continue on the debugger bar or hit F5.