This guide describes the complete setup of WvdS FPC RAD Studio for VS Code.

Install VS Code from code.visualstudio.com. Minimum version: 1.85.0.

Check your installed version:

code --version

Option A: Lazarus Bundle (recommended)

The Lazarus IDE includes FPC. Download: lazarus-ide.org

Typical installation paths:

• Windows: %LAZARUS%\fpc\3.2.2\bin\i386-win32\fpc.exe
• Linux: /usr/lib/fpc/3.2.2/fpc
• macOS: /usr/local/lib/fpc/3.2.2/fpc

Option B: Standalone FPC

Download: freepascal.org

Verification:

fpc -iV

Expected output: 3.2.2 or higher.

pas2js is the Pascal-to-JavaScript transpiler for browser and Node.js applications.

Installation via Lazarus:

Search for „pas2js“ in the Lazarus Online Package Manager and install it.

Manual Installation:

Download: wiki.freepascal.org/pas2js

Verification:

pas2js -h

1. Open VS Code
2. Click on the Extensions icon (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for „WvdS FPC“
4. Install the desired extensions:
   • WvdS VSCode Core - Required
   • WvdS VSCode Build - Recommended
   • WvdS VSCode Projects - Recommended
   • WvdS VSCode UI Designer - For PXAML development
   • WvdS VSCode UI Meta - For IntelliSense
   • WvdS VSCode UI Preview - For live preview
   • WvdS VSCode Packaging - For VSIX creation

# Basic installation
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-core
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-build
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-projects
 
# UI development
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-ui-designer
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-ui-meta
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-ui-preview
 
# Packaging
code --install-extension wvds.wvds-vscode-packaging

For offline installation or internal distribution:

1. Download the .vsix files
2. In VS Code: Extensions → … → Install from VSIX…
3. Select the .vsix file

After installing the Core extension, the compiler paths must be configured.

The suite attempts to automatically find installed tools:

1. Open the Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Run: WvdS: Toolchain Configuration…
3. The dialog shows detected tools with green checkmarks
4. Tools not found are marked in red

If automatic detection fails, paths can be set manually:

Via Settings UI:

File → Preferences → Settings → Search for „wvds.toolchain“

Via settings.json:

{
  "wvds.toolchain.fpcPath": "${env:LAZARUS}/fpc/3.2.2/bin/i386-win32/fpc.exe",
  "wvds.toolchain.pas2jsPath": "${env:LAZARUS}/fpc/3.2.2/bin/i386-win32/pas2js.exe",
  "wvds.toolchain.lazbuildPath": "${env:LAZARUS}/lazbuild.exe",
  "wvds.toolchain.innoSetupPath": "${env:PROGRAMFILES(X86)}/Inno Setup 6/ISCC.exe",
  "wvds.toolchain.makePath": "${env:MSYS2}/usr/bin/make.exe"
}

For cross-compilation on Windows, WSL can be enabled:

1. WSL 2 with a Linux distribution installed (Ubuntu recommended)
2. FPC installed in the WSL environment

{
  "wvds.toolchain.wslEnabled": true,
  "wvds.toolchain.wslDistribution": "Ubuntu-22.04"
}

With WSL enabled, the Linux FPC is used for Linux targets, while the Windows FPC remains active for Windows targets.

Verify your installation:

1. Open the Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Run: WVDS: Show Version Info
3. The Output Channel shows all detected tools and versions

Expected output (paths vary by installation):

WvdS FPC RAD Studio v0.1.0
--------------------------
FPC: 3.2.2 (%LAZARUS%\fpc\3.2.2\bin\i386-win32\fpc.exe)
pas2js: 2.2.0 (%LAZARUS%\fpc\3.2.2\bin\i386-win32\pas2js.exe)
lazbuild: 3.4 (%LAZARUS%\lazbuild.exe)
Inno Setup: 6.2.2 (%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Inno Setup 6\ISCC.exe)

Cause: FPC is not installed or the path is incorrect.

Solution:

1. Install FPC or Lazarus
2. Set wvds.toolchain.fpcPath manually
3. Ensure the path points to the .exe/.bin, not the folder

Cause: pas2js was not installed with Lazarus.

Solution:

1. Install pas2js via the Lazarus Package Manager
2. Or download pas2js manually
3. Set wvds.toolchain.pas2jsPath

Cause: Dependencies not met.

Solution:

1. Ensure wvds-vscode-core is installed
2. Check VS Code version (minimum 1.85.0)
3. Restart VS Code

Cause: Missing units or incorrect paths.

Solution:

1. Check the FPC output in the Terminal
2. Ensure all unit paths are correct
3. Check project settings

• Create Your First Project
• Understanding Build Configuration
• Core Extension in Detail