NeoObjectPascal Extension for Visual Studio Code

Complete IDE support for NeoObjectPascal with syntax highlighting, interactive debugging, and unit testing.

Version: 2.5.0
Author: Álvaro Brito

✨ Features

🎨 Syntax Highlighting

• Full syntax highlighting for .npas files
• Support for classes, interfaces, inheritance, and polymorphism
• Highlighting for test files (.test.npas)

▶️ Run & Execute

• Run File: Execute NeoObjectPascal files locally
• Integrated terminal output

🐛 Interactive Debugging

• Visual Breakpoints: Click on line numbers to set/remove breakpoints
• Step Over/Into: Navigate through code execution
• Variable Inspection: Watch variables in real-time
• Call Stack: View function call hierarchy
• Modify Variables: Change values during debugging
• Debug Console: Interactive REPL for debug commands

🧪 Unit Testing

• Run Single Test: Execute individual .test.npas files
• Run All Tests: Execute all test files in workspace
• Integrated test output

📦 Installation

1. Install the extension from VS Code Marketplace (or install .vsix file)
2. The extension includes a bundled NeoObjectPascal JAR (v2.4)
3. Optionally configure custom JAR path in settings

🚀 Quick Start

Running a File

1. Open a .npas file
2. Right-click in the editor
3. Select "Run NeoObjectPascal File"

Or click the ▶ play button in the editor title bar.

Debugging

1. Open a .npas file
2. Click on line numbers to set breakpoints (red dots appear)
3. Right-click and select "Debug NeoObjectPascal File"
4. Use debug controls:
   • Continue (F5): Resume execution
   • Step Over (F10): Execute next line
   • Step Into (F11): Enter function
   • Stop (Shift+F5): Stop debugging

Debug Console Commands

While debugging, use these commands in the Debug Console:

Command	Description
b <line>	Add breakpoint at line
d <line>	Remove breakpoint from line
list	List all breakpoints
c or continue	Continue execution
s or step	Step over (next line)
i or into	Step into function
w <var>	Watch variable
p <var>	Print variable value
set <var> <value>	Modify variable
vars	List all variables
stack	Show call stack
q or quit	Quit debugger

Running Tests

Single Test:

1. Right-click on a .test.npas file
2. Select "Execute Unit Test"

All Tests:

1. Right-click on any .test.npas file
2. Select "Execute All Unit Tests"

⚙️ Configuration

Open VS Code settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,) and search for "NeoObjectPascal":

Settings

neoobjectpascal.jarPath

• Type: string
• Default: "" (uses bundled JAR)
• Description: Path to directory containing neoobjectpascal.jar

Example settings.json

{
  "neoobjectpascal.jarPath": "/path/to/jar/directory"
}

📝 Context Menus

For .npas files (non-test):

• ▶️ Run NeoObjectPascal File
• 🐛 Debug NeoObjectPascal File
• 📦 Build Native Executable

For .test.npas files:

• 🧪 Execute Unit Test
• 🧪 Execute All Unit Tests

🐛 Debug Views

When debugging, the following views are available:

Variables View

• Shows all local variables
• Displays variable types and values
• Allows modification of values (right-click → Set Value)

Watch View

• Add expressions to watch
• Automatically updates when values change
• Use w <var> command to add watches

Call Stack View

• Shows function call hierarchy
• Click frames to navigate
• See line numbers and file names

Breakpoints View

• List all breakpoints
• Enable/disable breakpoints
• Remove breakpoints

Debug Console

• Interactive REPL
• Execute debug commands
• View debug output

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
F5	Start Debugging / Continue
Shift+F5	Stop Debugging
Ctrl+Shift+F5	Restart Debugging
F9	Toggle Breakpoint
F10	Step Over
F11	Step Into
Shift+F11	Step Out

💡 Examples

Example 1: Simple Program

// hello.npas
var message: String;

begin
    message := "Hello from NeoObjectPascal!";
    WriteLn(message);
end.

Run: Right-click → Run NeoObjectPascal File

Example 2: Class with Debugging

// person.npas
class Person
    var name: String;
    var age: Integer;
    
    constructor Create(n: String, a: Integer)
    begin
        self.name := n;
        self.age := a;
    end;
    
    public function greet(): String
    begin
        return "Hello, I'm " + self.name;
    end;
end;

var p: Person;
var greeting: String;

begin
    p := new Person("John", 30);
    greeting := p.greet();  // Set breakpoint here (click line number)
    WriteLn(greeting);
end.

Debug:

1. Click line number to set breakpoint (red dot appears)
2. Right-click → Debug NeoObjectPascal File
3. Use Variables view to inspect p and greeting
4. Use Debug Console to type p name to see the name value

Example 3: Unit Test

// calculator.test.npas
function add(a: Integer, b: Integer): Integer
begin
    return a + b;
end;

test "Should add two numbers correctly"
begin
    // GIVEN
    var a: Integer;
    var b: Integer;
    a := 10;
    b := 20;
    
    // WHEN
    var result: Integer;
    result := add(a, b);
    
    // THEN
    expect(result).toBe(30);
end;

Run Test: Right-click → Execute Unit Test

🔧 Troubleshooting

JAR Not Found

Problem: "JAR file not found" error

Solution:

1. Check if bundled JAR exists: <extension-path>/bin/neoobjectpascal.jar
2. Or configure custom JAR path in settings
3. Ensure Java is installed: java -version

Debugger Not Starting

Problem: Debug session fails to start

Solution:

1. Ensure file is saved
2. Check for syntax errors in your .npas file
3. Verify JAR path is correct
4. Check Java installation (java -version)
5. Try restarting VS Code

Tests Not Running

Problem: Tests don't execute

Solution:

1. Ensure file has .test.npas extension
2. Check test syntax (use test "name" begin ... end;)
3. Verify JAR supports testing (-t flag)

Breakpoints Not Working

Problem: Breakpoints are ignored

Solution:

1. Ensure you're using Debug mode, not Run mode
2. Check that breakpoints are on executable lines (not comments or blank lines)
3. Verify the file is saved before debugging

📋 Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.60.0 or higher
• Java 11 or higher

📜 Release Notes

2.4.0 (Latest)

New Features:

• ✅ Record literals #{ }, plus highlighting for boolean/error-handling/OO/testing keywords
• ✅ TerminalInk highlighting + snippets (terminal UI framework)
• ✅ HTTP/API function highlighting + snippets (httpGet/httpPost/…/httpForm)
• ✅ Named java-block arguments (access args by name, not only param0)
• ✅ New extension icon
• ✅ Bundled interpreter JAR refreshed to the current build (neoobjectpascal.jar)

See CHANGELOG.md for the full history.

2.1.0

New Features:

• ✅ Interactive debugging with breakpoints
• ✅ Variable inspection and modification
• ✅ Call stack view
• ✅ Debug console with REPL
• ✅ Unit testing support (.test.npas files)
• ✅ Context menus for all actions
• ✅ Bundled JAR (v2.4)

Improvements:

• Enhanced syntax highlighting for OO features
• Better error messages
• Improved terminal integration
• Separate menus for test files

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Basic syntax highlighting
• Run command

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please visit the GitHub repository.

📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

👤 Author

Álvaro Brito

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Enjoy coding in NeoObjectPascal with full IDE support! 🚀

🎓 Learn More

• NeoObjectPascal Documentation
• VS Code Extension Development