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VSCode Extension

The Grapa VSCode extension provides comprehensive language support for Grapa programming, making it easy to write, run, and debug Grapa code directly in Visual Studio Code.

Installation

From Visual Studio Marketplace

  1. Open VSCode
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
  3. Search for "Grapa Programming Language"
  4. Click Install

Prerequisites

  • Grapa executable must be installed on your system
  • See Installation Guide for Grapa setup instructions

Features

Syntax Highlighting

  • Color-coded Grapa code for .grc files
  • Proper highlighting for Grapa-specific syntax
  • Support for strings, numbers, comments, operators, and system types

IntelliSense & Autocomplete

  • Smart code completion for Grapa types and methods
  • Context-aware suggestions based on current code
  • Hover information with detailed documentation

Code Snippets

Over 40 pre-built snippets for common Grapa patterns:

Control Flow

  • if - If statement
  • ifelse - If-else statement
  • while - While loop
  • for - For loop

File Operations

  • read - File reading
  • write - File writing
  • exists - File existence check
  • ls - Directory listing
  • cd - Change directory

Cryptography

  • rsa - RSA key generation
  • sign - RSA signing
  • verify - RSA verification
  • ec - EC key generation
  • dh - DH key generation
  • hash - Hash encoding

Data Structures

  • array - Array creation
  • json - JSON object
  • vector - Vector creation
  • function - Function definition

Error Handling

  • iferr - Error handling with fallback
  • ifnull - Null value handling

Interactive Execution

Two modes for running Grapa code:

Interactive Terminal

  • Fully interactive - Type commands directly
  • Real-time execution - See results immediately
  • Variable persistence - Variables persist between commands

Code Selection Execution

  • Run selected code - Execute highlighted code
  • Variable persistence - Variables persist between runs
  • Multi-line support - Execute complex code blocks

Error Detection

  • Syntax validation - Real-time error checking
  • Error highlighting - Visual error indicators
  • Debug information - Detailed error messages

Quick Start

1. Open a Grapa File

# Create a new .grc file
touch hello.grc

2. Write Some Code

'Hello, Grapa!'.echo();
10.range().echo();

3. Run the Code

  • Press Ctrl+Shift+S to run selected code
  • Press Ctrl+Shift+R to run the entire file
  • Use Ctrl+Shift+P → "Grapa: Start Interactive Terminal" for REPL mode

Commands

Available Commands

  • Grapa: Run File - Execute current .grc file
  • Grapa: Run Selection - Run selected code
  • Grapa: Run Command - Execute custom command
  • Grapa: Start Interactive Terminal - Open interactive terminal
  • Grapa: Start Interactive Session - Start session for code selections
  • Grapa: Restart Session - Restart interactive session
  • Grapa: Interrupt Session - Stop current execution
  • Grapa: Debug File - Run with debug mode

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Ctrl+Shift+R - Run current file
  • Ctrl+Shift+S - Run selected code
  • Ctrl+Shift+I - Interrupt current command

Configuration

Extension Settings

Configure the extension behavior in VSCode settings:

{
  "grapa.executablePath": "./grapa",
  "grapa.debugMode": false,
  "grapa.autoRunOnSave": false,
  "grapa.preferInteractiveMode": true,
  "grapa.sessionTimeout": 30000,
  "grapa.autoEscapeLineFeeds": true,
  "grapa.showInteractiveOutput": true
}

Setting Descriptions

  • executablePath - Path to Grapa executable
  • debugMode - Enable debug output
  • autoRunOnSave - Automatically run files when saved
  • preferInteractiveMode - Use interactive mode for selections
  • sessionTimeout - Timeout for interactive commands
  • autoEscapeLineFeeds - Auto-escape line feeds in multi-line code
  • showInteractiveOutput - Show output in interactive mode

Usage Examples

Basic Syntax Highlighting

/* This is a comment */
'Hello, Grapa!'.echo();

/* File operations */
$file().setfield("data.txt", "Hello World");
content = $file().getfield("data.txt");
content.echo();

Using Snippets

  1. Type snippet prefix (e.g., rsa)
  2. Press Tab to expand
  3. Fill in placeholders as needed

Example with RSA snippet: 

// Type 'rsa' + Tab
rsa = "rsa".genkeys(2048);
signature = 'Hello'.sign(rsa);
'Hello'.verify(rsa, signature).echo();

Interactive Mode

// Start interactive terminal
grapa: /> 'Hello, Grapa!'.echo();
Hello, Grapa!
grapa: /> 10.range();
[0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
grapa: /> x = 5;
grapa: /> x * 2;
10

Multi-line Code Execution

// Select this block and press Ctrl+Shift+S
if (true) {
    'This is a multi-line block'.echo();
    'It will execute as a single unit'.echo();
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Extension Not Loading

  • Check VSCode developer console for errors
  • Verify .grc files are recognized as Grapa files
  • Restart VSCode after installation

Grapa Executable Not Found

  • Verify Grapa is installed and in PATH
  • Check grapa.executablePath setting
  • Test grapa --version in terminal

Interactive Mode Not Working

  • Use "Grapa: Start Interactive Terminal" for manual typing
  • Use "Grapa: Start Interactive Session" for code selections
  • Check executable path configuration

Snippets Not Working

  • Type snippet prefix and press Tab
  • Check for syntax errors in snippet definitions
  • Verify snippet file is properly loaded

Debug Mode

Enable debug mode for detailed logging: 

{
  "grapa.debugMode": true
}

Check the Output panel (View → Output → Grapa) for debug information.

Integration with Other Tools

Git Integration

  • Version control for .grc files
  • Diff highlighting for Grapa syntax
  • Blame information for code history

Terminal Integration

  • Integrated terminal with Grapa support
  • Command execution directly from VSCode
  • Output capture and display

Debugging

  • Breakpoint support for Grapa code
  • Variable inspection during execution
  • Call stack and error tracking

Best Practices

Code Organization

  • Use .grc extension for Grapa files
  • Organize code in logical functions
  • Add comments for complex logic

Interactive Development

  • Use interactive terminal for experimentation
  • Use code selection for testing specific parts
  • Leverage snippets for common patterns

Error Handling

  • Use iferr() for error handling
  • Use ifnull() for null value handling
  • Enable debug mode for troubleshooting

Support

Getting Help

  • GitHub Issues - Report bugs and request features
  • Documentation - Complete Grapa language reference
  • Community - Grapa discussions and support

Resources

Extension Version: 0.1.0
Publisher: Chris Matichuk
Marketplace: Grapa Programming Language