How To Use Ruby In Visual Studio Code

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In this blog post, we will discuss how to set up and use Ruby in Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Ruby is a dynamic, open-source programming language that focuses on simplicity and productivity. VS Code is a popular source code editor developed by Microsoft that provides excellent support for Ruby through its extensions.

Step 1: Install Ruby

Before we can use Ruby in VS Code, we need to have Ruby installed on our computer. You can download the latest version of Ruby from its official website: https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/downloads/.

Step 2: Install Visual Studio Code

If you don’t have Visual Studio Code installed on your computer, you can download it from its official website: https://code.visualstudio.com/download.

Step 3: Install Ruby Extensions in VS Code

After installing both Ruby and Visual Studio Code, we need to install some extensions to add Ruby support in VS Code. The most popular extensions for Ruby are:

  • Ruby by Peng Lv – Provides Ruby language and debugging support.
  • Ruby Solargraph by Castwide – Provides intellisense, code completion, and inline documentation for Ruby.

To install these extensions, follow these steps:

  1. Open Visual Studio Code.
  2. Click on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window.
  3. Search for “Ruby” and “Ruby Solargraph” in the search bar.
  4. Click the Install button for each extension.

Step 4: Configure the Ruby Interpreter

Next, we need to configure the Ruby interpreter in VS Code to run our Ruby code. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Create a new folder for your Ruby project and open it in VS Code.
  2. Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows, Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac) to open the Command Palette.
  3. Type “Ruby: Select Interpreter” in the Command Palette and press Enter.
  4. Select the Ruby interpreter you want to use from the list (usually the latest version installed on your computer).

Step 5: Write and Run Ruby Code in VS Code

Now that everything is set up, let’s write and run a simple Ruby script in VS Code:

  1. Create a new file in your project folder and name it hello.rb.
  2. Write the following Ruby code in the file: 
    puts 'Hello, world!'
  3. Save the file.
  4. Right-click on the file in the Explorer and select “Run with Ruby” or “Run with Ruby Debugger” to run the script.

You should now see the output “Hello, world!” in the integrated Terminal.

Conclusion

That’s it! You have successfully set up and used Ruby in Visual Studio Code. Now you can start building your Ruby projects using the powerful features of VS Code, such as syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging, and more. Happy coding!