This extension provides intuitive and advanced IDE-like features for Rust/Cargo development as a complement to the rust-analyzer extension.
Getting Started
- Install rustup.
- Install the cargo-tools extension.
- Open a Rust Project: The extension automatically activates when it detects a
Cargo.toml file.
Features
🎯 Project configuration
- Workspace Information: Active project and Cargo.toml quick access
- Build Configuration: Current profile and default target selection
- Quick Actions: Build, Run, Test, and Bench commands with one click
📋 Project outline
- Organized Target Structure: Targets grouped by workspace member or type
- Visual Indicators: Icons and descriptions for different target types (bin, lib, example, test, bench)
- Direct File Access: Click any target to open its source file
- Context Menus: Right-click targets for build, run, test, debug actions
- Advanced Filtering: Filter by workspace member and target type with real-time preview
- Customizable Grouping: Toggle between workspace member and target type organization
🔧 Makefile support
- cargo-make Integration: Automatic detection and execution of
Makefile.toml tasks
- Task Categories: Organized task structure with category-based grouping
- Task Filtering: Filter tasks by name or category for large makefiles
- Pinned Tasks: Pin frequently used tasks for quick access with keyboard shortcuts
- One-Click Execution: Run tasks directly from the tree view with integrated buttons
Commands
Quick Actions
- Build (
cargo-tools.projectStatus.build) - F7: Build current target
- Run (
cargo-tools.projectStatus.run) - Ctrl+Shift+F5: Run current target
- Debug (
cargo-tools.projectStatus.debug) - Shift+F5: Debug current target
- Test (
cargo-tools.executeTestAction): Run tests
- Bench (
cargo-tools.executeBenchAction): Run benchmarks
Target Management
- Select Build Profile (
cargo-tools.selectProfile): Switch between dev/release
- Select Build Target (
cargo-tools.selectBuildTarget): Choose default target
- Select Run Target (
cargo-tools.selectRunTarget): Choose default run target
- Select Benchmark Target (
cargo-tools.selectBenchmarkTarget): Choose default benchmark target
- Select Platform Target (
cargo-tools.selectPlatformTarget): Choose target platform
- Select Features (
cargo-tools.selectFeatures): Enable/disable cargo features
Workspace Commands
- Refresh (
cargo-tools.refresh): Reload workspace and targets
- Clean (
cargo-tools.clean): Clean build artifacts
- Build Documentation (
cargo-tools.buildDocs): Generate cargo docs
Makefile Commands
- Run Makefile Task (
cargo-tools.makefile.runTask): Execute selected makefile task
- Filter Tasks (
cargo-tools.makefile.setTaskFilter): Filter makefile tasks by name
- Filter Categories (
cargo-tools.makefile.showCategoryFilter): Filter by task category
- Pin Task (
cargo-tools.makefile.pinTask): Pin task for quick access
Pinned Task Shortcuts
- Execute 1st - 5th Pinned Task (
cargo-tools.pinnedMakefileTasks.execute1 - 5) - Ctrl+Alt+(1 - 5): Run 1st - 5th pinned makefile task
Rust-analyzer Integration
- Set rust-analyzer Targets (
rust-analyzer.setTargets): Configure target platforms for code analysis
Right-click items in different views for context-sensitive actions:
Project Outline View
Workspace Members/Packages:
- Select Package: Set as active package for builds
- Unselect Package: Remove package selection
- Build Package: Build all targets in the package
- Test Package: Run all tests in the package
- Clean Package: Clean package build artifacts
Workspace Root:
- Build Workspace: Build entire workspace
- Test Workspace: Run all tests in workspace
- Clean Workspace: Clean all workspace build artifacts
Targets (bin, lib, example, test, bench):
- Set as Build Target: Use this target for build operations
- Set as Run Target: Use this target for run operations (executables only)
- Set as Benchmark Target: Use this target for benchmark operations
- Build Target: Build this specific target
- Run Target: Execute this target (executables only)
- Debug Target: Start debugging session for this target
- Benchmark Target: Run benchmarks for this target
Makefile View
Makefile Tasks:
- Run Task: Execute the selected makefile task
- Pin Task: Add task to pinned tasks for quick access
Pinned Makefile Tasks View
Pinned Tasks:
- Execute Task: Run the pinned task
- Remove Task: Remove from pinned tasks list
Extension Settings
Configure the extension behavior by adding these settings to your VS Code settings.json:
Basic Configuration
{
"cargoTools.cargoCommand": "cargo", // Cargo command or wrapper to use
}
Build and Run Arguments
{
"cargoTools.buildArgs": ["--verbose"], // Additional cargo build arguments
"cargoTools.run.extraArgs": ["--", "arg1", "arg2"], // Extra arguments for run/debug
"cargoTools.test.extraArgs": ["--verbose"] // Extra arguments for test/bench
}
Environment Variables
{
"cargoTools.extraEnv": { // Environment variables for all commands
"RUST_LOG": "debug",
"CUSTOM_VAR": "value"
},
"cargoTools.run.extraEnv": { // Additional env vars for run/debug
"RUN_MODE": "debug"
},
"cargoTools.test.extraEnv": { // Additional env vars for test/bench
"TEST_MODE": "verbose"
}
}
Command Overrides
{
"cargoTools.runCommandOverride": "cargo watch -x run", // Override for run command
"cargoTools.testCommandOverride": "cargo nextest run" // Override for test command
}
rust-analyzer Integration
{
"cargoTools.useRustAnalyzerEnvAndArgs": false, // Use rust-analyzer settings
"cargoTools.updateRustAnalyzerTarget": false // Auto-update rust-analyzer target
}
Requirements
- Visual Studio Code 1.102.0 or higher
- Rust toolchain with Cargo installed
- cargo command available in PATH (or configure
cargoTools.cargoCommand)
Known Issues
- Large workspaces may take a moment to parse on first load
- Debug support requires CodeLLDB
- Icon and color choice may be improved
Contributing
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Make your changes
- Add tests for new functionality
- Submit a pull request
Inspiration
This extension draws inspiration from vscode-cmake-tools.
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
