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Debugging N# Code

The VS Code extension supports project-level run and debug for executable N# projects.

Requirements​

  • Install the N# VS Code extension.
  • Install the Microsoft C# extension (ms-dotnettools.csharp). N# uses its CoreCLR debugger for .NET process debugging.
  • Open a folder that contains project.yml.

Run​

Use N#: Run Project from the command palette, or run the nsharp: run task. This executes nlc run in the project folder and uses the normal IL backend.

Debug​

Press F5 in a .nl file, or use N#: Debug Project from the command palette.

For debugging, the extension:

  1. Exports a temporary C# debug bundle to .nsharp/debug.
  2. Builds that exported project with dotnet build.
  3. Starts a CoreCLR debug session against the generated Debug assembly.

The exported C# contains #line mappings back to the original .nl files, so breakpoints set in .nl files can bind through the generated PDB.

The generated files are build artifacts. Do not edit them; edit the .nl sources and debug again.

Launch Configuration​

You usually do not need a launch.json. If you want one, create a configuration like this:

{
  "type": "nsharp",
  "request": "launch",
  "name": "Launch N# Project",
  "project": "${workspaceFolder}",
  "args": [],
  "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
  "console": "integratedTerminal",
  "stopAtEntry": false
}

Project configuration still belongs in project.yml; do not add build settings to a hand-authored .csproj.

Limits​

Libraries are not directly launchable. Open or configure an executable project that references the library.

The debug path depends on the C# export surface. If a project uses a new N# feature before the C# exporter supports it, nlc run can still work while F5 fails during the temporary debug export.