How to set up Visual Studio Code for Executing and Debugging C Programs | Tutorial

Summary

This tutorial offers a comprehensive guide on setting up Visual Studio Code for C programming, including writing, executing, and debugging C programs. It covers the installation of necessary tools, workspace setup, and the use of extensions like 'C/C++' for enhanced functionality. The video demonstrates creating a build task, generating executable files, and running them directly from VS Code. Additionally, it explains how to debug programs using breakpoints and the gdb debugger, providing a step-by-step approach to mastering C development in VS Code.

Takeaways

• 📘 The tutorial is about setting up Visual Studio Code for writing, executing, and debugging C programs.
• 🔧 An alternative quick method for writing and executing C programs using the Code Runner extension is mentioned, with a link provided in the description box.
• 💻 Requirements include having Visual Studio Code installed, along with the C tool set and debugger.
• 🛠️ Users are guided to verify the installation of gcc and gdb by using command prompt and checking for version numbers.
• 📁 The process of setting up a workspace in Visual Studio Code involves creating folders for organizing C program files.
• 📝 The creation of a 'hello world' C program is demonstrated, including writing a simple program to ask for the user's age and display it.
• 🔌 An extension called 'C/C++' developed by Microsoft is recommended for enhanced C/C++ support in Visual Studio Code.
• ⚙️ The tutorial explains how to configure a build task in Visual Studio Code to generate an executable file from a C source file.
• 💼 The video shows how to modify the task.json file to include additional compiler arguments and to handle spaces in file and folder names.
• 🚀 The script describes how to execute the generated executable file from within Visual Studio Code using the terminal.
• 🔄 A trick to modify the task for building and running the program directly without separate steps is shared.
• 🐞 Debugging in Visual Studio Code is covered, including setting breakpoints, using the gdb debugger, and interpreting debug console output.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the tutorial in the script?

The main purpose of the tutorial is to guide users on how to set up Visual Studio Code for writing, executing, and debugging C programs.

Is there an alternative method mentioned for writing and executing a C program quickly?

Yes, an alternative method is mentioned which involves using the Code Runner extension for quickly writing and executing a C program.

What are the prerequisites before starting with the tutorial?

The prerequisites include having Visual Studio Code installed, the C tool set with the debugger, and ensuring that gcc and gdb are properly installed and the path environment variable is set.

How can one check if gcc is installed and the path is set correctly?

One can check by opening the command prompt and typing 'gcc --version'. If gcc is installed and the path is set correctly, the version will be displayed; otherwise, an error message will indicate that gcc is not recognized.

What debugger is used in the tutorial for C programs?

The tutorial uses the gdb debugger for C programs.

How does one verify if gdb is installed?

To verify if gdb is installed, one can type 'gdb --version' in the command prompt. If gdb is installed, the version number will be displayed; otherwise, an error message will indicate that gdb is not recognized.

What is the first step in setting up the workspace in Visual Studio Code according to the tutorial?

The first step is to open Visual Studio Code, click on 'File', then 'Add Folder to Workspace', and choose or create a folder where the C program files will be saved.

What is the purpose of the 'C/C++' extension in Visual Studio Code mentioned in the script?

The 'C/C++' extension developed by Microsoft provides C/C++ intelligence, debugging, and code browsing features in Visual Studio Code.

How does one create a build task for a C program in Visual Studio Code?

One creates a build task by clicking on 'Terminal', then 'Configure Default Build Task', and following the prompts to set up the task, which includes specifying the compiler and build arguments.

What is the significance of the 'launch.json' file in debugging a C program?

The 'launch.json' file is used to configure the debugger settings in Visual Studio Code. It is automatically generated by the C/C++ extension and can be edited to customize the debugging process.

How can one run a C program directly from the source file without creating an executable first?

One can modify the build task to include commands that both build the executable file and run it directly. This is done by setting up a shell task in the 'tasks.json' file with the necessary gcc command and execution command.

What is the process of adding a breakpoint in Visual Studio Code for debugging a C program?

To add a breakpoint, one clicks on the margin next to the line number in the source code where the breakpoint is desired. A red dot appears, indicating the breakpoint has been set.

How can the user specify a particular C/C++ configuration in Visual Studio Code?

The user can specify a particular C/C++ configuration by editing the 'c_cpp_properties.json' file, which can be accessed through the 'View', 'Command Palette', and searching for 'C/C++: Edit Configurations (UI)'.

Outlines

00:00

🎉 Welcome and Introduction to Setting Up Visual Studio Code

In this tutorial, we will explore how to set up Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for writing, executing, and debugging C programs. If you're looking for a quick setup to write and run a C program, check out the Code Runner extension tutorial linked in the description. For this guide, you'll need to download and install VS Code, the C toolset, and the debugger. We start by ensuring that GCC and GDB are properly installed and configured on your system.

05:00

📂 Setting Up the Workspace and Writing the First C Program

First, open Visual Studio Code and create a workspace. Add a new folder for your C programming projects, create subfolders for organizing your files, and save your workspace. Write a simple C program, such as 'Hello World,' and save it in the created folders. The guide walks through these steps, emphasizing the importance of organizing your files properly for a smooth development experience.

10:01

🔌 Installing the C/C++ Extension and Creating a Build Task

To enhance your development experience, install the C/C++ extension from Microsoft, which provides IntelliSense, debugging, and code browsing features. Once installed, set up a build task in VS Code to compile your C program into an executable file. This section explains how to configure the build task and includes tips on passing additional arguments for compilation, ensuring a comprehensive setup.

15:04

🚀 Running and Debugging the C Program

Learn how to run the compiled executable file from the terminal within VS Code. If the file or folder names contain spaces, use double quotes to avoid errors. The guide also covers how to set up a task to compile and run the program in one step, streamlining the process. Instructions for modifying the task configuration to handle spaces in file names are also provided.

20:07

🔧 Configuring the Debugger and Setting Breakpoints

This section covers how to set up the GDB debugger in VS Code. By configuring a launch.json file, you can specify the build task for debugging. The guide explains how to add and manage breakpoints, step through the code, and view debugging information in the Debug Console. This comprehensive setup ensures you can effectively debug your C programs.

25:08

📑 Customizing C/C++ Configuration and Conclusion

Customize your C/C++ development environment by editing the c_cpp_properties.json file. This file allows you to specify the C/C++ standards and other configurations for your workspace. The tutorial concludes with a summary of the steps covered and encourages viewers to subscribe for more tutorials. Thank you for watching and see you in the next video!

Keywords

💡Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a popular source code editor developed by Microsoft. It supports a wide array of programming languages and is highly customizable with extensions. In the video, it is the primary tool used for writing, executing, and debugging C programs. The script mentions setting up the workspace, installing extensions, and configuring tasks within Visual Studio Code to facilitate C programming.

💡C Program

A C Program refers to a sequence of instructions written in the C programming language, which is a general-purpose, procedural, imperative computer programming language developed in the early 1970s. The video tutorial covers how to write a simple C program that asks for the user's age and displays it.

💡Code Runner Extension

The Code Runner is an extension for Visual Studio Code that allows for running scripts and programs directly from the editor. The script mentions it as an alternative method for quickly writing and executing C programs without setting up tasks and configurations.

💡C Tool Set

The C Tool Set generally refers to a collection of tools required to develop C programs, including a compiler and debugger. In the context of the video, the C Tool Set is necessary for compiling and debugging C programs within Visual Studio Code.

💡Debugger

A debugger is a software tool used by programmers to test and debug their code. The script specifically mentions the use of the GDB debugger for debugging C programs in Visual Studio Code, allowing developers to step through code, inspect variables, and catch runtime errors.

💡GCC

GCC stands for GNU Compiler Collection, which is a compiler system produced by the GNU Project supporting various programming languages including C. In the video, the script instructs viewers to check if GCC is installed and properly set up on their systems to compile C programs.

💡Workspace

In the context of an integrated development environment like Visual Studio Code, a workspace is a collection of folders and files that are related to a project. The script describes setting up a workspace for organizing C program files and tasks.

💡Executable File

An executable file is a file that is ready to be run on an operating system. In the video, the process of generating an executable file from a C source file is explained, which is a crucial step in the compilation process.

💡Task

In Visual Studio Code, a task is a configuration that defines how to run or build a program. The script details setting up tasks for building C programs and running them, which can include commands for compilation and execution.

💡Breakpoint

A breakpoint is a marker in code that tells a debugger to pause the execution of a program at a specific point. The video demonstrates how to set a breakpoint in a C program to inspect variables and step through the code during debugging.

💡C/C++ Configurations

These configurations in Visual Studio Code allow developers to specify settings for the C/C++ language service, such as the standard version of the language to use. The script mentions editing these configurations to tailor the development environment to specific project requirements.

Highlights

Introduction to setting up Visual Studio Code for C programming with execution and debugging capabilities.

Alternative method for quick C program writing and execution using the Code Runner extension.

Prerequisite installation of Visual Studio Code and C toolchain with debugger.

Verification of GCC installation via command prompt.

Checking for GDB debugger installation and setup.

Workspace setup in Visual Studio Code for organizing C program files.

Creating a new folder and file for writing a 'Hello World' C program.

Installation of the 'C/C++' extension by Microsoft for enhanced C language support.

Configuring a build task for generating an executable file from C source code.

Explanation of modifying build task arguments for custom compiler options.

Autosave feature to ensure automatic saving of modifications in the source file.

Building an executable file using the configured task from the terminal.

Running the generated executable file and handling spaces in file names.

Creating a task to build and run the C program directly without separate steps.

Debugging a C program in Visual Studio Code using GDB with breakpoints.

Using the 'Debug' view to inspect variables and control program execution.

Editing C/C++ configurations for specific compiler settings in the IDE.

Conclusion summarizing the process of using Visual Studio Code for C program development.

Transcripts

welcome to the channel in this tutorial

we will see how we can set up the visual

studio code

for writing executing and debugging the

c program now if you are just interested

in writing a c program

and executing it as quickly as possible

then i have another method available

where we will be using the code runner

extension

and the link for the tutorial that i

have made will be in the description box

you guys can check that out

here we will open up the visual studio

code set up the workspace

set up the task and also we will see how

we can debug the

code now in order to continue with this

video you need to download and install

visual studio code and also you need to

download and install the

c tool set along with the debugger

now if you don't know about it then i

have the tutorials

again the link will be in the

description box so now

before continuing first we will make

sure that we have all the tools

required so open up the command prompt

and here we will type in gcc

space minus minus version

and hit the enter button and you will

see some version displayed in here

if you get an error message stating that

gcc

is not recognized as an internal or

external command

then it means that gcc is not installed

if it is installed then you have not set

the

path enrollment variable properly so you

have to watch my tutorial

and you have to set up everything now

after that

we will make sure that we have a

debugger installed

we will be working with the gdb debugger

so we will check whether it is installed

or not so we will type in

gdb space minus minus

version and

here also we will see a version number

displayed you know if you get an error

message stating that it is not an

recognized command or something like

that then again it means that it is not

installed and you have to install it

okay so now here we have the tools

required

so what we can do is we can open up the

visual studio code and set it up

so i'm gonna click on the start button

and i'm gonna launch the

visual studio code now here it

is opening with the welcome screen the

first thing that i'm gonna do is

i'm gonna click on the file and i'm

gonna say

add folder to workspace click on that

now you can choose whatever the location

that you want but in this case i'm gonna

save all these files in my desktop

and here i'm to create a new folder

and i'm going to say c programming and

after that

i'm going to open up this folder i'm

going to create another folder

and i'm going to say programs

and after that i'm gonna select this

folder and i will click on

add now here in this

explorer window we can see the programs

folder

if the explorer window is not visible

then you guys can click on this

icon which says explorer okay

now the next thing that we're gonna do

is we're gonna click on file

and we will say save workspace

as and again i'm gonna go to desktop

and this time i'm gonna open up the c

programming folder that we have created

and here i'm gonna save the workspace we

can give any name

i'm gonna say c programming and we will

say workspace

now we can give any name and after that

we will click on save

so now if you look at the explorer here

then we have the workspace called as c

programming workspace

and then we have the programs folder now

we will select this programs folder and

we will click on this new folder icon

and here we can create a folder and

what i'm going to do is i'm gonna create

a folder and

inside that folder i'm gonna create a

file which has the code

written in the c language so here i'm

gonna say

hello world and also make a note that

i'm adding space here between hello and

world

your file and the folder name you know

if you want you can have the

spaces otherwise you can write it in

just one single name

okay now click outside and we have this

folder

again we will click on this new file and

now hello space

world dot c which will be the file

uh you know which will contain the code

written in the c language

now i'm going to close this welcome tab

and here

i'm going to write a very simple c

program and i'm going to fast forward

that one

so here i have written a very simple

program

which will ask the user to enter his age

and then it will display your ages in

whatever the value the user is gonna

enter

now what we have to do is we have to

generate an executable file

from this source file and after that we

have to run that executable file

now before continuing what we do is we

will install

an extension so here we will click on

this

extensions icon and it will display

installed and popular extensions here we

will search for

c c plus plus and

the first extension that we see here is

called as

c c principles and it has been developed

by microsoft and we will click on that

it provides the uh cc plus plus

intelligence debugging and

code browsing features so what we do is

we will

install this extension so i'm going to

click on this install

button now it will install the extension

and in the bottom right corner you can

see

the installation happening so you just

have to wait for

the visual studio code to download and

install

this extension completely now this

um progress bar has been disappeared and

it means that

the extension has been installed

completely now

we will click on the explorer icon in

here

and we go to the hello world.c and also

here

i'm going to close the extension cc plus

plus tab

okay now we have the source file so now

what we have to do is we have to

generate an executable file

so what we do is we will set up a build

task

which will build an executable file from

this

source file so we will click on the

terminal

and we have to click on this configure

default

task and keep in mind we just have to do

it

only once you know the first time when

we are setting it up

once we have set up everything then we

just have to write the program

select the task that we want to run and

everything will happen for us

okay so now here we can see cc plus plus

gcc.exe build active file it is

displayed here

in this command palette and it will also

display

the compiler that you have installed it

may display the path also

okay now what we have to do is we have

to click on this option

now what it does is inside the programs

folder which is present in our workspace

it will create another folder called as

dot vs code and inside that folder

we will have task.json file

this file will contain the build task

now here we can see some details about

in this task

for example the type is cpp build and we

can see the label

and also we can see the command used the

arguments used

if you want you can pass in more

arguments in here for example

it says our default debug information

with this

minus g you know if you want we can

change that one to minus g3

which will mean that the executable will

contain the

maximum debug information and also

if you want to pass in any other

arguments then we can specify for

example

uh what i want to do is i'm going to say

if there are any

warnings in the program i want them to

be displayed

so here i'm gonna specify that one here

minus

wall and after that we will add a comma

in here

so just like the way i'm doing here if

you want you can also specify

the specific c version to be used for

building the executable file

otherwise it will choose whatever the

default c version used

you know we can change that one later by

using another file

which will apply for the entire

workspace and we will talk about that

later

okay after that what i'm gonna do is i'm

gonna save this one

and also go to the source file which is

hello world.c in this case

go to file and make sure that autosave

is selected

so that you know whenever we make any

modifications

the file will be saved automatically now

what we can do is we can use the task

that we have created and

build an executable file now before

building an executable file what i want

you to do is

close the visual studio code and open it

up again

so that whatever the new files that we

have created everything will be loaded

properly

okay close it and relaunch now

what we do is we will click on the

terminal and we will go to

run build task or you guys can use the

shortcut

click on that now what it does is

it builds the executable file by using

the task that we have mentioned if you

look at

the file explorer then in the hello

world folder

we have an executable file called as

hello

world.exe i misspelled world here

but you know that's okay just the name

of the file

okay so now we have the executable file

what we have to do is we have to run

this executable file

so for that what we need is we need a

terminal

so i'm going to click on this plus icon

in here which will create a new terminal

for us

and here now we are in this programs

folder

and the executable file that we want is

actually present

inside another folder called as hello

world so first

we have to go to the hello world folder

so we will type in

cd space hello

world if i hit the enter button here

then

we are in the hello world folder now if

it generates an

error then you just have to type in cd

space

and then in double quotes type in hello

space

world so now we are in the hello world

folder where we have the executable file

so what we have to do is we have to

write the name of the executable file in

here

to run it so it will be hello

space wr old

that's because i misspelled it and now

if i hit the

enter button it says it is not a

recognized command because

the name contains a space so i have to

write that in

double quote so i'm gonna type in

this name in between the double quotes

so it will become one single entity now

and if i hit the enter button

it says enter your age i'm gonna say 30

it says your age is 30. so what we have

done here is we have generated an

executable file

and and also we have run that executable

file

uh one simple trick that i want to show

is if you don't want to

build the executable file first then you

know

going to the terminal and typing all

these things what you can do is you can

set up

the task in such a way that it will

build the executable file and also it

will run it

directly so to do that what we do is

we will open up the task.json file that

we have

in this dot vs code so i'm going to open

it up in here

and here we can see task and

we can see the information specified

between the curly braces

so this one so what we're gonna do is

we're gonna copy

everything which is present from

one curly brace to another curly brace

here like this

um after that we will copy that

uh before that i'm gonna close this

explorer

so that you know we can work with uh

more space in here

after that we go to the end here we will

add a comma

then we go to the next line and we will

paste the content that we have copied

okay now we will go to the second part

in here

and we will change something so we will

change the type here

from cpp build to

shell okay

after that we will change the label we

will change

the value and we can say

run this c program

you know we can give any name because we

are creating this task now

and after that we have the command and

we have the arguments

so what we have to do here is we have to

place these arguments

along with the command here so what we

do is

after this gcc.exe we will add a space

and we will copy these contents and we

will paste them in here

so it will be minus g3 space

minus wall i'm going to copy that i'm

going to paste it in here

after that we have dollar file

copy that and paste it in here

we have negative o

copy that paste it in here and

by the way make sure that you separate

them by using a space

after the -4 we have a space and

after that i'm going to copy this and

i'm going to paste it in here and after

that

add a space type in and

just like the way i'm doing in here and

paste

this last part again

so it will be like this so this last

part will actually contain the

executable file name

along with the path and and what we are

doing here is we are stating

two commands to be executed one is build

the c program

generate the executable file and after

that call that executable file in here

by using this okay now

we will come back here and since we have

specified

these arguments in this command only we

don't need

the args we're gonna remove that

and after that here we will remove this

group also okay after that save it

so now we have this task which we have

created

now we will go to the hello world and

also i'm gonna open up the explorer

and uh you know we can delete this uh

executable file so i'm gonna right click

delete it move to the recycle bin so

in this hello world folder now we have

only hello world.c

so now what we're gonna do is we're

gonna try to run this program by using

the task that we have created

so click on the terminal click on the

run task

and now we can see we have two options

one is the build task

which was created by the extension

automatically and then we have

run this program task that we have

configured i have given this name

you guys may have given a different name

click on that now here it says we have

some error

but it's okay it is expected we can

solve this

so what happens here is since the folder

name and the file name contains

the space when we write this command

here

it treats them as separate entities so

whenever we have the folder name and

file name with space

we need to place them between double

quotes so

we just have to make this one

modification if the folder name and the

file name doesn't contain any space

then this will work but if it has a

space then we get this error

and by the way for debugging the program

this is not required

i just wanted to show you guys um if i

have taken around five minutes of your

life then sorry about that

okay now we're gonna go to the task.json

again

i'm gonna close the explorer and here

what we're gonna do is

whenever we have something which can

contain space we place them in double

quotes

so we're gonna go to the task that we

have configured

which is the task which has the type

shell and

label is run this c program so here this

file name

which is displayed in here after minus

wall

and it can contain space so we have to

place the

value of that file name in double quotes

and the thing is

this command value is actually specified

in double quotes

so we have to escape the double quote

that we use in here

so we will use the backslash we will

type in double quote

again after file backslash

double quote take your time observe

everything cleanly and

do it after negative o we have

folder name and the file name with the

extension

and this can contain the uh spaces

so we have to place them in double

quotes so after

the negative oh we will type in

backslash

double quote after the exe we will

we will add backslash double quote

and here also when we call the

executable that we want to run

it will specify the folder name along

with the file name

so you know that can contain the space

so we will add that

after and backslash double quote

after exe backslash double quote

that's it after that save it

now we will go to helloworld.c

and here we will open up the explorer

and we can see hello world

folder and what i have done is uh i have

deleted the

executable file which was present in the

hello world folder

okay now we will click on the terminal

we will say

run task again we have two tasks

run this c program then uh the task to

build

the executable file so we will click on

run this c program

and now you guys can see it says enter

your age i'm gonna say 30

and that's it you know we have the

output of the program

so you know if you set up this task

then you don't have to use the

extensions like core runner or something

okay so every time whenever you want to

run the program go to terminal

run task and select the task that you

want to

run so you will get the output

okay now we will see how we can debug

this program

so what we do is just above the

extension

icon we can see run click on that

and it will display a button called as

run and debug

click on that and it will open up the

command palette and

we have two options one is gdp lldb

or debug using the windows if you

remember

we have the gtb installed so we will

choose

uh c plus g db lldb so

we will choose that one and now it will

say the task

to choose for building the executable

file for debugging

so here we will choose the task that

the cc plus plus extension has

created for us if remember that is build

and debug active file

okay so we will choose that

now it will start the build it will

finish the build it will create the

executable file

it will launch the debugger and here in

the debug console we can see the debug

information

and if you go to the terminal then we

can see the output of the program

now it says interview age i'm gonna say

20

hit the enter button it says your age is

20 that's the output of the program

the program has run successfully and

also in the debug console we can see

the debug information now here i'm going

to click on the

explorer icon and what has happened here

is

in the dot vs code folder another file

is created called as

launch dot json here i'm gonna close

this

panel and i'm gonna open up the

launch.json file

and you can see the information here

um we don't have to change anything in

here but if you want to do any changes

then

you can do it in here okay so this is

the launch file automatically generated

for us

by that cc plus plus extension so now

we will see how we can debug by using a

breakpoint

now here what i'm going to do is i'm

going to add a breakpoint

let us say i'm going to add the break

point here in this line number seven

so if you take your mouse just before

the line number then you guys can see a

red dot appearing

if you left click in your mouse it will

place that breakpoint in that particular

point

okay i'm going to add the breakpoint

here in this printf statement

and after that what we do is we will

click on the run

you know we go to the uh this debug

section and

and here we will click on this option

which says start

debugging click on that

so what it does is it generates the

executable file

and then it will start

debugging so now here if you click on

the debug console

then we can see the debugging

information and

in terminal it says enter your age i'm

going to enter 30

and after that i'm gonna hit the enter

button in here

now you guys can see it has hit the

break point because

i have mentioned the breakpoint here at

line number seven

if we go to the debug console then we

can see it says thread has hit a

breakpoint

at lane number seven and also we can see

the uh

more information in here for example we

can see the values present in

the local variable in this case we have

age

edges containing 30 and also we can see

the call stack and all this stuff

and also we can see the options like

continue step into

step over and step out and all these

options

so here i'm gonna click on step over now

if i come back to the terminal section

then it will display your age is 30

and since we are in the end of this

program i'm going to click on this

continue option which will run the

program until it encounters the next

breakpoint and

in this case we don't have any

breakpoint so the program will terminate

so this is how we can you know quickly

set up the visual studio code for

debugging the program and one last thing

that we're gonna talk

in this tutorial is if you want to use a

specific

cc plus plus configuration then you can

do that now i'm gonna remove this

breakpoint in here

now what you can do here is if you want

you can

specify a particular cc plus plus

settings to use

to do that we will click on the view

command palette

type in c slash c plus plus

colon edit and you have the option to

edit the c c plus plus configurations

you can directly edit the json file or

you can use the

graphical user interface you know which

is ui

so i'm going to open up the graphical

user interface once we click on that

if you look at the dot vs code folder a

new file is created called as ccpp

properties

and here we can specify i know

particular cc plus plus properties to

use

for example uh c standard used is uh

gunu17

for c plus plus it is using a gunu 14.

if you want you can change that one to

uh gonna 20 and uh for c

plus plus we have the latest standard

available used

so you know if you want to make any

changes here then you guys can

make that and you know after that you

can

run your program so this is it guys this

is how we can use visual studio code

for writing executing and debugging c

programs

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