AutoVSG: Live VHDL Style Checking in VS Code

Check VHDL style as you write. AutoVSG runs VHDL Style Guide (VSG) against the unsaved editor buffer and reports errors and warnings in the Problems panel.

Install

Install AutoVSG from the Visual Studio Marketplace or search for AutoVSG by publisher DSPiz in VS Code's Extensions view. Open a VHDL file in a trusted workspace. If VSG is missing, click Install VSG in the first-run notification. Diagnostics appear automatically after a short pause while typing; no lint commands or tasks are needed.

Requirements

Python 3.9 or newer, with venv support, and internet access for first-run setup. No separate pip command is required. If Python is missing, install it from https://www.python.org/downloads/, restart VS Code, and run AutoVSG: Install VSG Engine.
Existing VSG installations on PATH or in an ancestor .venv are also supported and do not require managed setup.
Project configuration is optional. Starting in the VHDL file's folder, AutoVSG checks that folder and up to seven parent folders for vsg-config.yml or vsg-config.yaml, using the nearest file it finds. If no config is found, VSG still runs with its built-in default rules.

Setup downloads VSG 3.35.0 from PyPI into private extension storage. It does not change project or system Python packages. Setup requires your confirmation and runs only in trusted workspaces. To retry a failed setup, run AutoVSG: Install VSG Engine. Failure details are available in the AutoVSG output channel.

Dependencies

AutoVSG includes the editor integration and setup helper. Python, VSG, and PyYAML are installed separately; the VSG engine is downloaded on first use.

Dependency	Required for	How it is provided
Desktop VS Code 1.140.0 or newer	Running the extension	Installed by the user; supplies the extension's Node.js runtime.
Python 3.9 or newer	Managed engine setup and running its VSG installation	Installed separately; AutoVSG does not download Python.
Python `venv` and pip	Creating the private engine environment and installing packages	Supplied by Python; some Linux distributions require separate venv/pip packages.
VSG 3.35.0	Checking VHDL style rules	Downloaded by one-click setup, or use an existing VSG installation.
PyYAML 5.1 or newer	VSG's YAML configuration support	Installed automatically by pip as a VSG dependency.
Internet access	Downloading VSG and dependencies during setup	Required for first-time managed setup; linting works offline afterwards.

VSG 3.35.0 itself declares Python >=3.8; AutoVSG's managed installer requires Python >=3.9. PyYAML is not pinned to an exact version by AutoVSG. Existing VSG installations use their own Python environment and dependencies.

No separate Node.js, npm, compiler, or VHDL simulator installation is needed to use AutoVSG. The extension has no runtime npm dependencies.

Platform Support

Designed for desktop VS Code on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Tested on macOS only; Windows and Linux support has not yet been verified end to end. Browser-only VS Code is not supported because AutoVSG starts a local process.

The current installer uses py -3 or python on Windows, and python3 or python on macOS/Linux. The interpreter must be discoverable on VS Code's process PATH. The managed virtual environment depends on that Python installation remaining available.

Fully install-and-run distribution without a separate Python prerequisite would require bundling Python, VSG, PyYAML, and their licenses in tested OS/architecture-specific packages. That is not included in this release.

Settings

autovsg.executable: Optional VSG command or absolute path override. The default uses the private engine, then ancestor .venv folders, then PATH.
autovsg.configuration: Optional VSG YAML/JSON configuration path. Empty uses the automatic search described above.
autovsg.runOnType: Run after edits. Defaults to true.
autovsg.debounceMilliseconds: Delay after the last edit. Defaults to 500 ms.

Use an external config

To use a shared config file instead of auto-discovery:

In VS Code, open the Command Palette and run Preferences: Open Workspace Settings (JSON).

Add autovsg.configuration to the JSON object:

{
  "autovsg.configuration": "../shared/vsg-config.yml"
}

The path is relative to the workspace root; an absolute path also works. This setting overrides automatic config discovery.

Use AutoVSG: Check Current VHDL File from the Command Palette to run an immediate check.

Development

Contributors need Node.js and npm. npm install installs the development tools: TypeScript, ESLint, typescript-eslint, VS Code/Node/Mocha type definitions, and the VS Code extension test CLI/Electron runner. These are not bundled runtime dependencies. The test runner downloads VS Code on its first run, and the integration test requires an available VSG installation and project config.

Run npm test to compile, lint, and test the extension, including an extension-host check against the project VSG configuration. Open this folder in VS Code and press F5 to launch an Extension Development Host.

AutoVSG

Muhammad Aslam