Vallenta Studio

A Visual Studio Code extension that provides comprehensive Delphi development support, enabling you to edit, build, and debug Delphi projects directly within VS Code.

Features

The extension is available in two tiers:

Free (with registered account)

• Project Explorer - Manage multiple Delphi projects (.dproj) and packages (.dpk) in a dedicated sidebar with recent project support
• Build System - Build, clean, and rebuild projects using MSBuild with configuration/platform selection and build toolbar. Compiler errors, warnings, and hints are parsed into the Problems panel
• Syntax Highlighting - Full Object Pascal TextMate grammar including keywords, types, comments, strings, and compiler directives
• Code Intelligence (LSP) - Go to Definition, hover information, code completion, and document symbols/outline powered by a built-in Language Server
• Semantic Highlighting - Context-aware syntax coloring via the LSP server
• Preprocessor Support - Full {$IFDEF}, {$DEFINE}, {$INCLUDE} evaluation with inactive region visualization (grayed-out code)
• File Encoding - Detects ANSI-encoded Pascal files and offers one-click conversion to UTF-8 with BOM
• Session Persistence - Saves and restores open tabs when switching between projects

Pro (with paid subscription)

All Free features, plus:

• Source-Level Debugging - Full source-level debugging with breakpoints, stepping, variable inspection, and call stacks. Press F5 to start — no configuration needed.
• Natvis Type Visualization - Version-specific natvis files for displaying Delphi types (strings, arrays, variants, objects) in the debugger
• Go to Declaration / Implementation - Jump between interface declarations and implementation bodies (Shift+Ctrl+Up / Shift+Ctrl+Down)
• Semantic Validation - Compiler-style diagnostics that detect undefined types, methods, and variables with configurable severity
• Breakpoint Persistence - Breakpoints are saved and restored per project
• Project Options Editor - Edit project configuration directly within VS Code
• Group Builds - Build all projects in a project group at once

Requirements

• Delphi - A valid Delphi installation (Delphi 10.x, 11.x, 12.x or 13.x)
• C/C++ Extension - Required for debugging (ms-vscode.cpptools). VS Code installs this automatically when you install the Vallenta Studio extension.

Installation

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Open a folder in VS Code to use as your workspace (see Workspace Setup below)
3. The extension auto-detects your Delphi installation and configures paths automatically

Getting Started

Workspace Setup

The extension requires an open workspace folder in VS Code. It stores project references and settings in a .vallenta folder inside your workspace root.

The workspace folder does not have to be the actual Delphi project folder. The recommended practice is to open a parent directory that covers multiple Delphi project folders. For example:

C:\MyWork\                    <-- open this folder as your VS Code workspace
+-- .vallenta\                <-- extension stores project list and settings here
+-- ProjectA\
¦   +-- ProjectA.dproj
¦   +-- ...
+-- ProjectB\
¦   +-- ProjectB.dproj
¦   +-- ...
+-- SharedLibrary\
    +-- ...

This way you can manage multiple Delphi projects within a single workspace.

Delphi Detection

On first startup, it scans the Windows Registry for installed Delphi versions and selects the latest one. To switch to a different Delphi version, open the settings dialog (top right on the Project Explorer) and select the Delphi version from the dropdown list.

Adding Projects

1. Open the Vallenta Studio view in the Activity Bar (sidebar)
2. Click Add Project to browse and select a .dproj or .dpk file
3. Or use Add Project Group to load all projects from a .groupproj file

Building

1. Set the active project by clicking on it in the Project Explorer
2. Select the build configuration (Debug/Release) and target platform (Win32/Win64) in the Build toolbar
3. Click the Build button in the Build toolbar — one click, no VS Code tasks.json configuration required
4. Build output streams in real-time to the Build Output panel; errors and warnings appear in the Problems panel

Debugging (Pro)

1. Build the active project with Debug configuration to include debug information
2. Press F5 (or click Debug in the Build toolbar) to start debugging

That's it — no launch.json or tasks.json needed. The extension automatically:

• Generates the debug symbols required by the debugger
• Generates version-specific natvis visualizers for Delphi types
• Launches the debugger with the correct paths and settings

Use Ctrl+F5 to run without debugging.

Debugging capabilities:

• Source-level breakpoints
• Step over / into / out
• Local variable and parameter inspection
• Call stacks with function names and line numbers
• Natvis type visualization for Delphi strings, arrays, variants, and objects

Code Intelligence

The built-in LSP server starts automatically when a project is activated and provides:

• Go to Definition (F12) - Navigate to symbol declarations
• Go to Declaration / Implementation (Shift+Ctrl+Up / Shift+Ctrl+Down) - Jump between interface and implementation (Pro)
• Hover - View type information and symbol details
• Code Completion - Type-aware member suggestions after the dot operator
• Document Symbols - Outline view and breadcrumb navigation
• Semantic Highlighting - Context-aware syntax coloring
• Diagnostics - Errors, warnings, and hints for undefined types, methods, and variables (Pro)
• Inactive Regions - Preprocessor-excluded code shown with reduced opacity

Extension Settings

Vallenta Studio Environment

Debugging

Editor

LSP Server

Commands

Keyboard Shortcuts

Supported File Types

Known Limitations

• Form Designer is not supported — .dfm and .fmx files open as text
• Windows only — the extension requires a local Delphi installation on Windows. Cross-compilation to other platforms (e.g., Linux) is possible, but deployment to target systems is not handled by the extension
• LSP does not yet support: Find References, Rename, Code Actions, Code Formatting, Signature Help

Feedback and Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on this repository.

Trademark Notice

Delphi is a registered trademark of Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. Vallenta Studio is an independent product and is not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by Embarcadero Technologies.

License

See LICENSE for details.