ParadoxCode VS Code extension

ParadoxCode provides EU4 diagnostics, completion, Hover, navigation, rename, formatting, semantic highlighting, and a live mission-tree preview backed by pdx-ls.

ParadoxCode is independent and unofficial. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paradox Interactive.

Setup

Install ParadoxCode from the VS Code Marketplace, trust and open an EU4 Mod workspace, then open an EU4 file. No language-server setup is required: ParadoxCode automatically downloads the matching pdx-ls release for the current platform, verifies its SHA-256 checksum, caches it in VS Code's global storage, and starts it. The download happens only in a trusted workspace that activates EU4 support; unrelated workspaces do not start ParadoxCode.

After installation, VS Code's Get Started page includes Start using ParadoxCode, a detailed walkthrough covering workspace trust, Mod folder selection, the automatic server download, Vanilla symbols, diagnostics, and mission preview. The same guide can be reopened from Help > Get Started.

Advanced users can still set paradoxcode.pdxLsPath, add [server].binary to the shared .pdx/project.toml, or use ParadoxCode: Select pdx-ls Binary for a local build. If automatic setup is interrupted, ParadoxCode: Install or Update pdx-ls retries it and the output channel contains the actionable error.

Use Choose EU4 Installation / Vanilla Data if automatic Vanilla discovery cannot find the game. Select the installation folder containing eu4.exe plus common, events, missions, decisions, and localisation; the server validates the folder, builds the local Vanilla index, and retries without requiring a project file. The same directory also enables mission textures. Use Export Workspace Diagnostics to share a bounded JSON report, and Reload ParadoxCode Language Server after changing external workspace resources.

The shared project configuration is also understood by the Zed extension. The first server start may build or load the Vanilla index; progress is visible in the status bar and ParadoxCode output.

Mission Preview

Open a mission file under common/missions or missions, then choose Open Mission Tree Preview to the Side. The preview supports live refresh, source navigation, texture-backed nodes, keyboard navigation, zoom controls, a mission list, and PNG/JSON export.

Configuration

Optional path, dependency, Vanilla cache, diagnostic filtering, preview, and installer settings live under the paradoxcode.* namespace. Localisation YAML and asset/sfx language contributions are intentionally outside this VS Code release's explicit selector scope; the server still indexes authoritative workspace data according to the EU4 profile.