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Visual Studio dev tools & services make app development easy for any platform & language. Try our Mac & Windows code editor, IDE, or Azure DevOps for free. Add language support for HTTP request, with features like syntax highlight, auto completion, code lens and comment support, when writing HTTP request in Visual Studio Code. By default, the language association will be automatically activated in two cases: File with extension.http or.rest.

Visual Studio Code is a cross-platform script editor by Microsoft. Together with thePowerShell extension, it provides a rich and interactive script editing experience, makingit easier to write reliable PowerShell scripts. Visual Studio Code with the PowerShell extension isthe recommended editor for writing PowerShell scripts.

It supports the following PowerShell versions:

• PowerShell 7 and up (Windows, macOS, and Linux)
• PowerShell Core 6 (Windows, macOS, and Linux)
• Windows PowerShell 5.1 (Windows-only)

Note

Visual Studio Code is not the same as Visual Studio.

Getting started

Before you begin, make sure PowerShell exists on your system. For modern workloads on Windows,macOS, and Linux, see the following links:

For traditional Windows PowerShell workloads, see Installing Windows PowerShell.

Important

The Windows PowerShell ISE is still available for Windows. However, it is no longer inactive feature development. The ISE does not work with PowerShell 6 and higher. As a component ofWindows, it continues to be officially supported for security and high-priority servicing fixes.We have no plans to remove the ISE from Windows.

Editing with Visual Studio Code

1. Install Visual Studio Code. For more information, see the overviewSetting up Visual Studio Code.

   There are installation instructions for each platform:

   • Windows: follow the installation instructions on theRunning Visual Studio Code on Windows page.
   • macOS: follow the installation instructions on theRunning Visual Studio Code on macOS page.
   • Linux: follow the installation instructions on theRunning Visual Studio Code on Linux page.

2. Install the PowerShell Extension.

   1. Launch the Visual Studio Code app by typing code in a console or code-insidersif you installed Visual Studio Code Insiders.

   2. Launch Quick Open on Windows or Linux by pressing Ctrl+P. On macOS,press Cmd+P.

   3. In Quick Open, type ext install powershell and press Enter.

   4. The Extensions view opens on the Side Bar. Select the PowerShell extension from Microsoft.You should see a Visual Studio Code screen similar to the following image:

   5. Click the Install button on the PowerShell extension from Microsoft.

   6. After the install, if you see the Install button turn into Reload, Click on Reload.

   7. After Visual Studio Code has reloaded, you're ready for editing.

For example, to create a new file, click File > New. To save it, click File > Save and thenprovide a file name, such as HelloWorld.ps1. To close the file, click the X next to the filename. To exit Visual Studio Code, File > Exit.

Installing the PowerShell Extension on Restricted Systems

Some systems are set up to require validation of all code signatures. You may receive the followingerror:

This problem can occur when PowerShell's execution policy is set by Windows Group Policy. Tomanually approve PowerShell Editor Services and the PowerShell extension for Visual Studio Code,open a PowerShell prompt and run the following command:

You're prompted with Do you want to run software from this untrusted publisher? Type A to runthe file. Then, open Visual Studio Code and check that the PowerShell extension is functioningproperly. If you still have problems getting started, let us know on GitHub issues.

Note

The PowerShell extension for Visual Studio Code does not support running in constrained languagemode. For more information, see GitHub issue #606.

Choosing a version of PowerShell to use with the extension

With PowerShell Core installing side-by-side with Windows PowerShell, it's now possible to use aspecific version of PowerShell with the PowerShell extension. This feature looks at a few well-knownpaths on different operating systems to discover installations of PowerShell.

Use the following steps to choose the version:

1. Open the Command Palette on Windows or Linux withCtrl+Shift+P. On macOS, useCmd+Shift+P.
2. Search for Session.
3. Click on PowerShell: Show Session Menu.
4. Choose the version of PowerShell you want to use from the list, for example: PowerShell Core.

If you installed PowerShell to a non-typical location, it might not show up initially in the SessionMenu. You can extend the session menu by adding your own custom pathsas described below.

Note

The PowerShell session menu can also be accessed from the green version number in the bottom rightcorner of status bar. Clicking this version number opens the session menu.

Configuration settings for Visual Studio Code

First, if you're not familiar with how to change settings in Visual Studio Code, we recommendreading Visual Studio Code's settings documentation.

After reading the documentation, you can add configuration settings in settings.json.

If you don't want these settings to affect all files types, Visual Studio Code also allowsper-language configurations. Create a language-specific setting by putting settings in a[<language-name>] field. For example:

Tip

For more information about file encoding in Visual Studio Code, see Understanding file encoding.

Also, check out How to replicate the ISE experience in Visual Studio Code for othertips on how to configure Visual Studio Code for PowerShell editing.

Adding your own PowerShell paths to the session menu

You can add other PowerShell executable paths to the session menu through theVisual Studio Code setting:powershell.powerShellAdditionalExePaths.

Add an item to the list powershell.powerShellAdditionalExePaths or create the list if it doesn'texist in your settings.json:

Each item must have:

• exePath: The path to the pwsh or powershell executable.
• versionName: The text that will show up in the session menu.

To set the default PowerShell version, set the value powershell.powerShellDefaultVersion to thetext displayed in the session menu (also known as the versionName):

After you've configured this setting, restart Visual Studio Code or to reload the current VisualStudio Code window from the Command Palette, type Developer: Reload Window.

If you open the session menu, you now see your additional PowerShell versions!

Note

If you build PowerShell from source, this is a great way to test out your local build ofPowerShell.

Using an older version of the PowerShell Extension for Windows PowerShell v3 and v4

The current PowerShell extension doesn't support PowerShell v3 and v4. However, you canuse the last version of the extension that supports PowerShell v3 and v4.

Caution

There will be no additional fixes to this older version of the extension. It's provided 'AS IS'but is available for you if you are still using Windows PowerShell v3 and Windows PowerShell v4.

First, open the Extension pane and search for PowerShell. Then click the gear and selectInstall another version....

Then select the 2020.1.0 version. This version of the extension was the last version tosupport v3 and v4. Be sure to add the following setting so that your extension version doesn'tupdate automatically:

Version 2020.1.0 will work for the foreseeable future. However, Visual Studio Code couldimplement a change that breaks this version of the extension. Because of this, and lack of support,we recommend:

• Upgrading to Windows PowerShell 5.1
• Install PowerShell 7, which is a side-by-side install to Windows PowerShell and works thebest with the PowerShell extension

Debugging with Visual Studio Code

No-workspace debugging

In Visual Studio Code version 1.9 (or higher), you can debug PowerShell scripts without opening thefolder that contains the PowerShell script.

1. Open the PowerShell script file with File > Open File...
2. Set a breakpoint - select a line then press F9
3. Press F5 to start debugging

You should see the Debug actions pane appear which allows you to break into the debugger,step, resume, and stop debugging.

Workspace debugging

Workspace debugging refers to debugging in the context of a folder that you've opened from theFile menu using Open Folder.... The folder you open is typically your PowerShell projectfolder or the root of your Git repository. Workspace debugging allows you to define multiple debugconfigurations other than just debugging the currently open file.

Follow these steps to create a debug configuration file:

1. Open the Debug view on Windows or Linux by pressingCtrl+Shift+D. On macOS, pressCmd+Shift+D.

2. Click the create a launch.json file link.

3. From the Select Environment prompt, choose PowerShell.

4. Choose the type of debugging you'd like to use:

   • Launch Current File - Launch and debug the file in the currently active editor window
   • Launch Script - Launch and debug the specified file or command
   • Interactive Session - Debug commands executed from the Integrated Console
   • Attach - Attach the debugger to a running PowerShell Host Process

Visual Studio Code creates a directory and a file .vscodelaunch.json in the root of yourworkspace folder to store the debug configuration. If your files are in a Git repository, youtypically want to commit the launch.json file. The contents of the launch.json file are:

This file represents the common debug scenarios. When you open this file in the editor, you see anAdd Configuration... button. You can click this button to add more PowerShell debugconfigurations. One useful configuration to add is PowerShell: Launch Script. With thisconfiguration, you can specify a file containing optional arguments that are used whenever youpress F5 no matter which file is active in the editor.

After the debug configuration is established, you can select which configuration you want to useduring a debug session. Select a configuration from the debug configuration drop-down in theDebug view's toolbar.

Troubleshooting the PowerShell extension for Visual Studio Code

If you experience any issues using Visual Studio Code for PowerShell script development, see thetroubleshooting guide on GitHub.

Useful resources

There are a few videos and blog posts that may be helpful to get you started using the PowerShellextension for Visual Studio Code:

Videos

Blog posts

PowerShell extension project source code

The PowerShell extension's source code can be found on GitHub.

If you're interested in contributing, Pull Requests are greatly appreciated. Follow along with thedeveloper documentation on GitHub to get started.

Applies to: SQL Server (all supported versions) - Linux

This article shows how to use the mssql extension for Visual Studio Code to develop SQL Server databases. Because Visual Studio Code is cross-platform, you can use mssql extension on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Install and start Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a cross-platform, graphical code editor that supports extensions.

1. Download and install Visual Studio Code on your machine.

2. Start Visual Studio Code.

   Note

   If Visual Studio Code does not start when you are connected through an xrdp remote desktop session, see VS Code not working on Ubuntu when connected using XRDP.

Install the mssql extension

The mssql extension for Visual Studio Code lets you connect to a SQL Server, query with Transact-SQL (T-SQL), and view the results.

1. In Visual Studio Code, select View > Command Palette, or press Ctrl+Shift+P, or press F1 to open the Command Palette.

2. In the Command Palette, select Extensions: Install Extensions from the dropdown.

3. In the Extensions pane, type mssql.

4. Select the SQL Server (mssql) extension, and then select Install.

5. After the installation completes, select Reload to enable the extension.

Create or open a SQL file

The mssql extension enables mssql commands and T-SQL IntelliSense in the code editor when the language mode is set to SQL.

1. Select File > New File or press Ctrl+N. Visual Studio Code opens a new Plain Text file by default.

2. Select Plain Text on the lower status bar, or press Ctrl+K > M, and select SQL from the languages dropdown.

   Note

   If this is the first time you have used the extension, the extension installs supporting SQL Server tools.

If you open an existing file that has a .sql file extension, the language mode is automatically set to SQL.

Connect to SQL Server

Follow these steps to create a connection profile and connect to a SQL Server.

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P or F1 to open the Command Palette.

2. Type sql to display the mssql commands, or type sqlcon, and then select MS SQL: Connect from the dropdown.

   Note

   A SQL file, such as the empty SQL file you created, must have focus in the code editor before you can execute the mssql commands.

3. Select the MS SQL: Manage Connection Profiles command.

4. Then select Create to create a new connection profile for your SQL Server.

5. Follow the prompts to specify the properties for the new connection profile. After specifying each value, press Enter to continue.

   Connection property	Description
   Server name or ADO connection string	Specify the SQL Server instance name. Use localhost to connect to a SQL Server instance on your local machine. To connect to a remote SQL Server, enter the name of the target SQL Server, or its IP address. To connect to a SQL Server container, specify the IP address of the container's host machine. If you need to specify a port, use a comma to separate it from the name. For example, for a server listening on port 1401, enter <servername or IP>,1401. As an alternative, you can enter the ADO connection string for your database here.
   Database name (optional)	The database that you want to use. To connect to the default database, don't specify a database name here.
   Authentication Type	Choose either Integrated or SQL Login.
   User name	If you selected SQL Login, enter the name of a user with access to a database on the server.
   Password	Enter the password for the specified user.
   Save Password	Press Enter to select Yes and save the password. Select No to be prompted for the password each time the connection profile is used.
   Profile Name (optional)	Type a name for the connection profile, such as localhost profile.

   After you enter all values and select Enter, Visual Studio Code creates the connection profile and connects to the SQL Server.

   Tip

   If the connection fails, try to diagnose the problem from the error message in the Output panel in Visual Studio Code. To open the Output panel, select View > Output. Also review the connection troubleshooting recommendations.

6. Verify your connection in the lower status bar.

As an alternative to the previous steps, you can also create and edit connection profiles in the User Settings file (settings.json). To open the settings file, select File > Preferences > Settings. For more information, see Manage connection profiles.

Create a SQL database

1. In the new SQL file that you started earlier, type sql to display a list of editable code snippets.

2. Select sqlCreateDatabase.

3. In the snippet, type TutorialDB to replace 'DatabaseName':

4. Press Ctrl+Shift+E to execute the Transact-SQL commands. View the results in the query window.

   Tip

   You can customize the shortcut keys for the mssql commands. See Customize shortcuts.

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Create a table

1. Delete the contents of the code editor window.

2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P or F1 to open the Command Palette.

3. Type sql to display the mssql commands, or type sqluse, and then select the MS SQL: Use Database command.

4. Select the new TutorialDB database.

5. In the code editor, type sql to display the snippets, select sqlCreateTable, and then press Enter.

6. In the snippet, type Employees for the table name.

7. Press Tab to get to the next field, and then type dbo for the schema name.

8. Replace the column definitions with the following columns:

9. Press Ctrl+Shift+E to create the table.

Insert and query

1. Add the following statements to insert four rows into the Employees table.

   While you type, T-SQL IntelliSense helps you to complete the statements:

   Tip

   The mssql extension also has commands to help create INSERT and SELECT statements. These were not used in the previous example.

2. Press Ctrl+Shift+E to execute the commands. The two result sets display in the Results window.

View and save the result

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1. Select View > Editor Layout > Flip Layout to switch to a vertical or horizontal split layout.

2. Select the Results and Messages panel headers to collapse and expand the panels.

   Tip

   You can customize the default behavior of the mssql extension. See Customize extension options.

3. Select the maximize grid icon on the second result grid to zoom in to those results.

   Note

   The maximize icon displays when your T-SQL script produces two or more result grids.

4. Open the grid context menu by right-clicking on the grid.

5. Select Select All.

6. Open the grid context menu again and select Save as JSON to save the result to a .json file.

7. Specify a file name for the JSON file.

8. Verify that the JSON file saves and opens in Visual Studio Code.

If you need to save and run SQL scripts later, for administration or a larger development project, save the scripts with a .sql extension.

Next steps

If you're new to T-SQL, see Tutorial: Write Transact-SQL statements and the Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine).

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For more information on using or contributing to the mssql extension, see the mssql extension project wiki.

Visual Studio Code

For more information on using Visual Studio Code, see the Visual Studio Code documentation.