VSCode devcontainer template: Python

Template project to allow students to edit, run and debug Python code in VSCode using a consistent containerised environment.

Launching in local VSCode

Prerequesites: Install VSCode and Docker.

When you open this project folder in VSCode, accept the popup to open in a Dev Container. Alternatively, you can run the editor command 'Dev Containers: Reopen in Dev Container' at any time. Editor commands can be launched by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Macos).

Launching in GitHub Codespace

From your GitHub page, click on the hamburger icon (3 horizontal slashes) in the top left of the page and select 'Codespaces'. Click on 'New Codespace' and choose the repository you want to open. Use the defaults for the remaining settings and click 'Create Codespace'. A web-based VSCode client will start and build the dev container which will take some time on the initial run.

Launching outside of a devcontainer

The launch scripts will run provided the correct dependencies are installed. See Dockerfile for reference.

Running and Debugging

This project is configured with a launch.json script that specifies the Python code to run or debug. Click on the Run and Debug icon on VSCode sidebar and click the Play icon in the debug panel.

Maintenance

• .devcontainer/devcontainer.json specifies the Dockerfile, VSCode extensions and any other project settings. If you need to add another extension, the identifier can be found in the More Info section of its docs.
• .devcontainer/Dockerfile is the Dockerfile loaded to set up this environment. For this project it is a debian Python image. If changing this, ensure to use specific image versions otherwise it will pull 'latest' which may cause inconsistencies.
• .vscode/launch.json specifies the scenarios for running or debugging code. Each of the JSON dicts appears in the play icon in the Run and Debug panel. This is not limited to Python; the "type" field can be changed for different tools.