Run and debug the current or last Python file in VS Code with ease and out-of-the-box support.
Why It Exists
Running and debugging Python files in VSCode quickly is at least inconvenient. Let's fix that.
Ctrl+Shift+F10 creates a launch configuration for the current script and runs it -- quick and easy.
Ctrl+F10 runs the last configuration again -- fast re-run.
Ctrl+Shift+F9 and Ctrl+F9 do the same for debugging -- debug with the same ease.
Run and debug multiple scripts simultaneously -- no more "A debug session is already active" errors.
Launchpad manages per-file launch configurations with predictable defaults and settings-based overrides.
Behavior
Usage
Open a Python file, be it a python script or a test file.
Press Ctrl+Shift+F10 to run it, or Ctrl+Shift+F9 to debug it.
Use Ctrl+F10 / Ctrl+F9 to run or debug the last valid Python target, even when editor focus is elsewhere.
The first execution of a script opens a dialog to set up the launch configuration.
run command template (default is python {script})
current working directory (default is the Python workspace folder)
select which launch.json to use in multi-root workspaces (default is the target file's workspace folder)
Subsequent runs/debugs reuse and preserve existing managed target entries, feel free to edit them.
Commands
Run Current File
Debug Current File
Run Last File
Debug Last File
Remove Managed Target Configurations
Default Keybindings
Default shortcuts use Ctrl key combinations on all platforms:
Debug Current File: Ctrl+Shift+F9
Run Current File: Ctrl+Shift+F10
Debug Last File: Ctrl+F9
Run Last File: Ctrl+F10
Target Resolution
Depends on the Microsoft Python extension (ms-python.python) for Python debugging support.
Auto-detects test files by filename (test*.py, *_test.py).
In test files, Run/Debug Current File resolves the current function or method when the cursor is inside one; otherwise, it targets the whole file.
Run Last File and Debug Last File are no-ops when no previous target exists.
Run and Debug Execution
Run/debug commands resolve runtime templates from managed launch env keys (PYTHON_LAUNCHPAD_RUN_COMMAND / PYTHON_LAUNCHPAD_TEST_COMMAND) with safe fallbacks.
Debug commands choose pytest or unittest based on Python test settings (python.testing.pytestEnabled / python.testing.unittestEnabled).
Debug Current File and Debug Last File launch by managed configuration name for script targets, so the Run and Debug panel keeps the selected Launchpad target for F5 reuse.
Prints a terminal summary tail after each run with outcome, exit code, and runtime (green for success, red for failure).
Managed Configuration Rules
Creates and updates only extension-managed debug configurations.
Existing managed target configurations are never overwritten once created.
Limits managed Launchpad target entries per workspace-folder launch.json.
If creating a new managed target exceeds the limit, the least-recent managed target (first in order) is removed.
Existing targets keep their order when run/debugged again.
cleatsPythonLaunchpad.launchConfigurationTemplate
Default: {}
JSON object applied as a base override for newly created managed target launch configurations.
Use it to define defaults (for example justMyCode, subProcess, env, envFile) without editing managed launch entries manually.
cleatsPythonLaunchpad.executeDialogEnabled
Default: true
If true, first execution of an unmanaged target shows a setup dialog before the managed target configuration is created.
Dialog customization order: run command template, current working directory, then launch target workspace folder (multi-root only).
cleatsPythonLaunchpad.runOpenNewTerminalIfBusy
Default: true
If true, run commands open a new terminal when a previous Cleats run is still active.
cleatsPythonLaunchpad.debugOpenNewTerminalIfBusy
Default: true
If true, debug commands can launch an additional debug session when a matching target is already active.
cleatsPythonLaunchpad.terminalReveal
Allowed values: always, silent, never
Release History
0.2.0 (2026-05-17)
The first stable release! All core features are now in place.
Internal refactoring and optimizations.
0.1.5 (2026-05-16)
Fixed run/debug behavior in multi-root workspaces so Launchpad resolves and launches from the correct target workspace folder.
Added support for named workspace-folder variables in cwd (for example ${workspaceFolder:project_a}) when running targets.
Improved default keybinding behavior by skipping Launchpad commands in the integrated shell, ensuring shortcuts execute the extension commands reliably.
0.1.4 (2026-05-14)
Added setup-dialog support for first-run script execution.
Improved configuration behavior for managed launch flows.
Removed legacy behavior to keep execution paths deterministic.
0.1.3 (2026-05-04)
Added managed template env keys PYTHON_LAUNCHPAD_RUN_COMMAND and PYTHON_LAUNCHPAD_TEST_COMMAND.
Updated run/debug flows to resolve execution commands from managed target env values with safe fallbacks.
Standardized command-template behavior for more predictable target execution.
0.1.2 (2026-05-02)
Consolidated script and test command handling into a unified testCommandTemplate flow.
Updated run-current and run-last command logic to support the unified template behavior.
Added debug-busy terminal tracking to improve concurrent debug session handling.
0.1.1 (2026-05-01)
Added terminal-tail run summaries, including exit code and runtime for every run.
Added ANSI coloring for terminal-tail summaries (green success, red failure).
Tightened VSIX packaging to keep publish artifacts runtime-focused.
0.1.0 (2026-04-25)
Added run/debug commands for current and last Python file targets.
Established the initial managed launch configuration workflow.
