VS Code Configuration for Python Projects

This page outlines the necessary configuration for setting up and managing a Python project in Visual Studio Code (VS Code), specifically focusing on Python development, testing, and extensions that streamline the workflow.

Workspace Settings

The settings.json file customizes your VS Code environment for Python development. Below is the recommended configuration for a typical Python project:

{
    // Python Settings
    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
    "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true,
    "python.envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env",
    "python.analysis.autoSearchPaths": true,
    "python.analysis.diagnosticSeverityOverrides": {
        "reportMissingImports": "none"
    },
    "python.analysis.extraPaths": [
        "${workspaceFolder}/src"
    ],

    // Pytest Settings
    "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
    "python.testing.unittestEnabled": false,
    "python.testing.cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/tests",
    "python.testing.pytestPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/pytest",
    "python.testing.autoTestDiscoverOnSaveEnabled": true,
}

note

Ensure you update the src and tests paths to match your project's directory structure.

The extensions.json file provides a list of recommended extensions to enhance the development experience for Python projects. Here's the recommended configuration:

{
    "recommendations": [
        "ms-python.python",
        "ms-python.vscode-pylance",
        "charliermarsh.ruff",
        "ms-toolsai.jupyter",
        "github.copilot",
        "tamasfe.even-better-toml",
        "aaron-bond.better-comments",
        "postman.postman-for-vscode",
        "github.vscode-github-actions",
        "bierner.markdown-mermaid",
        "ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers",
    ]
}