StatLang VS Code Extension

Features

• Syntax Highlighting: Statistical scripting language syntax highlighting for .statlang files
• Code Snippets: Common statistical analysis patterns and procedures
• File Execution: Run StatLang files directly from VS Code
• Notebook Support: Interactive statistical notebooks (both .ipynb with StatLang kernel and .stlnb files)
• IntelliSense: Code completion and syntax checking
• Integrated Terminal: View results in VS Code's integrated terminal

Installation

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Install the StatLang Python package:

   pip install statlang
   

   This will automatically install all dependencies including Jupyter kernel support.
3. Install the Jupyter kernel for notebook support:

   python -m statlang.kernel install
   

Usage

Basic StatLang Files (.statlang)

1. Create a new file with .statlang extension
2. Write your StatLang code
3. Use Ctrl+Shift+P → "StatLang: Run File" to execute
4. View results in the integrated terminal

Interactive Notebooks

Option 1: Standard Jupyter Notebooks (.ipynb)

1. Install the StatLang kernel: python -m statlang.kernel install
2. Create a new Jupyter notebook (.ipynb)
3. Select "statlang" as the kernel
4. Write StatLang code in cells and execute

Option 2: StatLang Notebooks (.stlnb)

1. Create a new file with .stlnb extension
2. Write StatLang code in cells
3. Execute cells individually or run all
4. View formatted output and datasets

Code Snippets

Type common statistical analysis patterns and press Tab to expand:

• data → DATA step template
• proc → Statistical procedure template
• means → PROC MEANS template
• freq → PROC FREQ template
• reg → PROC REG template
• sql → PROC SQL template
• macro → Macro definition template

Supported Features

• DATA Steps: Variable creation, conditional logic, DATALINES
• PROC MEANS: Descriptive statistics with CLASS variables and OUTPUT statements
• PROC FREQ: Frequency tables and cross-tabulations with options
• PROC SORT: Data sorting with ascending/descending order
• PROC PRINT: Data display and formatting
• PROC REG: Linear regression analysis with MODEL, OUTPUT, and SCORE statements
• PROC SURVEYSELECT: Random sampling with SRS method, SAMPRATE/N options, and OUTALL flag
• PROC UNIVARIATE: Detailed univariate analysis with distribution diagnostics
• PROC CORR: Correlation analysis (Pearson, Spearman)
• PROC FACTOR: Principal component analysis and factor analysis
• PROC CLUSTER: Clustering methods (k-means, hierarchical)
• PROC NPAR1WAY: Nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis)
• PROC TTEST: T-tests (independent and paired)
• PROC LOGIT: Logistic regression modeling
• PROC TIMESERIES: Time series analysis and seasonal decomposition
• PROC TREE/FOREST/BOOST: Machine learning (decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting)
• PROC SQL: SQL query processing with DuckDB backend
• PROC LANGUAGE: Built-in LLM integration for text generation and analysis
• SAS Macro System: %MACRO/%MEND, %LET, & substitution, %PUT, %IF/%THEN/%ELSE, %DO/%END
• SAS Format System: Built-in date/time, numeric, and currency formats with metadata persistence
• Macro Variables: %LET, %PUT statements
• Libraries: LIBNAME functionality
• TITLE Statements: Title support for output formatting

Configuration

The extension can be configured through VS Code settings:

• statlang.pythonPath: Path to Python executable
• statlang.runtimePath: Path to StatLang runner script
• statlang.showOutputOnRun: Show output channel when running code

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• StatLang Python package
• VS Code 1.60.0 or higher

Demo

Check out the comprehensive demo in examples/statlang_walkthrough.ipynb to see all features in action.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see the main project repository for contribution guidelines.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Support

• 📖 Documentation
• 🐛 Issue Tracker
• 💬 Discussions

⚖️ Legal Disclaimer

This extension uses original, independently developed code to implement a statistical scripting language for educational and analytical use.

StatLang is provided as-is, under an open-source license, for research and community contribution purposes.