MARS Extension (MIPS for VS Code)

Run, inspect, and learn MIPS assembly directly inside VS Code using the MARS simulator.

Features

Run MIPS Programs

• Run .asm / .s files with one click
• Uses MARS under the hood
• Optional stdin input support

Register Viewer

• View CPU registers in Explorer
• See values in:
  • Hex
  • Decimal
  • Both
• Highlights changed registers between runs
• Optional detailed webview panel

Memory Viewer

• Inspect memory ranges
• Configurable start/end addresses
• Change highlighting

Syntax Support

• Syntax highlighting for MIPS
• Instruction, register, directive coloring

IntelliSense

• Auto-complete:
  • Instructions
  • Registers
  • Directives
  • Labels
• Snippets for common instructions

Hover Info

• Hover instructions → explanation
• Hover registers → description
• Hover syscalls → behavior

Diagnostics

• Unknown instructions
• Duplicate labels
• Undefined labels
• Parsed MARS errors

Getting Started

1. Install the extension
2. Open a .asm or .s file
3. Click ▶ Run MARS
4. View:
   • Output panel
   • Registers panel
   • Memory panel

Configuration

Open VS Code settings and configure:

"mars-extension.javaPath": "java",
"mars-extension.marsJarPath": "",
"mars-extension.displayFormat": "both",
"mars-extension.memoryStartAddress": "0x10010000",
"mars-extension.memoryEndAddress": "0x10010040"