Effective Go (VS Code)

A Visual Studio Code / Cursor extension for learning Go with interactive exercises based on Effective Go.

The sidebar Course tree lists all 73 exercises across eight modules. Quizzes grade in the extension host; coding labs edit real .go files and run go test. Progress and progressive hints are stored in VS Code globalState.

Install

Extension ID: 12yanogden.effective-go

From the Marketplace (once published)

In VS Code / Cursor: Extensions → search Effective Go, or open Marketplace: 12yanogden.effective-go.
Click Install.

Or from the command line:

code --install-extension 12yanogden.effective-go

From a VSIX

Build locally (or download a release .vsix), then:

npm run package:vsix   # writes effective-go-0.1.0.vsix at the repo root
code --install-extension effective-go-0.1.0.vsix

In the UI: Extensions → ⋯ → Install from VSIX… → pick effective-go-0.1.0.vsix.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
VS Code or Cursor 1.85+	Extension Development Host via F5 works in both
Go toolchain	`go` on your `PATH`, or set `effectiveGo.goPath`
Go extension (optional)	golang.go for richer editing; not required to grade labs
Node.js 20+	Only needed to build / develop the extension
Workspace folder	Required for coding exercises (starter files land under `.effective-go/`)

Install Go from https://go.dev/dl/ if needed, then confirm:

go version

F5 / development flow

npm install
npm run compile

Open this repository as a folder in VS Code or Cursor.
Press F5 (launch config Run Extension). A new Extension Development Host window opens.
In the host window, open any workspace folder (your own project or an empty folder) — coding labs need somewhere to write .effective-go/<id>/.
Click the Effective Go icon in the Activity Bar, or run Effective Go: Open Course.

Validate content against the schema:

npm run validate:exercises

Automated Extension Host smoke (activate + catalog + quiz grade):

npm run test:integration

(npm test runs unit tests then this smoke suite. First integration run downloads a VS Code build into .vscode-test/.)

Manual F5 / UI checklist: docs/qa-checklist.md.

npm run package:vsix

How to use the course

Browse — expand modules in the Course tree. Completed exercises show a checkmark.
Open — click an exercise. Quizzes render in the webview; coding exercises copy starter files into .effective-go/<exercise-id>/ and open the edit file.
Hint — Show Hint reveals progressive hints one at a time (already unlocked hints stay visible).
Check — Check Answer grades the quiz or runs go test on your workspace copy (tests are overlaid from the packaged exercise each run).
Run in Terminal (coding) — opens an integrated terminal in .effective-go/<id>/ and runs go test . so you can iterate without Check Answer.
Reset — restores quiz answers / recopies starter files and clears completion for that exercise.
Next — Next Exercise (webview button or command) advances to the next catalog entry.

Commands

Command	Action
`Effective Go: Open Course`	Focus the Course view and open your current / next incomplete exercise
`Effective Go: Open Exercise`	Open a specific exercise (also used by the tree)
`Effective Go: Check Answer`	Grade quiz or run tests
`Effective Go: Show Hint`	Reveal the next progressive hint
`Effective Go: Reset Exercise`	Clear progress and restore starter files
`Effective Go: Run in Terminal`	Coding only — `go test .` in the scaffold dir
`Effective Go: Next Exercise`	Advance to the next exercise in catalog order

Empty states

No workspace folder — coding exercises show a notice and prompt you to open a folder; Check Answer will not run until a folder is open and the exercise has been (re)opened.
Go missing — a notice explains how to install Go or set effectiveGo.goPath; Check Answer fails with the same guidance.

Settings

Setting	Default	Purpose
`effectiveGo.goPath`	`go`	Path to the Go binary
`effectiveGo.testTimeoutMs`	`30000`	Default `go test` timeout (ms); per-exercise `timeoutSeconds` wins

Exercise contract

Authoritative schema: docs/exercise-contract.md.

exercises/
  catalog.json          # source of truth for the Course tree (73 entries)
  NN-module/
    eg-NN-slug/
      exercise.json
      prompt.md
      starter/          # coding
      tests/            # coding
      solution/         # optional; excluded from VSIX via .vscodeignore

Webview messages

webview → host: { type: 'check' | 'hint' | 'reset' | 'ready' | 'next', ... }
host → webview: { type: 'ready' | 'result' | 'hint', ... }

Quiz check sends { answers: number[] }. result uses { ok, message, details? }.

Project layout

src/
  extension.ts           # activate + commands (+ EffectiveGoApi for smoke)
  course/catalog.ts      # catalog.json + manifests
  course/progress.ts     # globalState
  course/types.ts        # contract types
  exercise/panel.ts      # WebviewPanel + postMessage
  exercise/scaffold.ts   # copy starter into workspace
  exercise/grader.ts     # go test / quiz check
  views/courseTree.ts    # TreeDataProvider
  test/extension.test.ts # Extension Host smoke (@vscode/test-cli)
media/                   # webview CSS/JS (CSP nonce)
exercises/               # course content (modules 01–08)
docs/exercise-contract.md
scripts/validate-exercises.mjs

Effective Go

Ryan Ogden