Debugging Rust Code in VS Code: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to debugging Rust code, there are several Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and text editors that can be used. Here, we’ll consider how to debug Rust code in Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

Setting up Rust on your computer

1. Install Rust using the command curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh (on macOS or Linux) or by downloading the installer from the official Rust website (on Windows).
2. Install the build tools for Windows if you’re using Windows.
3. Verify that Rust has been installed correctly by opening a command window or terminal and typing rustc --version.

Creating a new Rust project

1. Open a command window or terminal and navigate to the directory where you’d like to create your project.
2. Use the command cargo new myproject to create a new Rust project called “myproject”.
3. Change directories into your new project using cd myproject.
4. Open VS Code in the current directory using code ..

Setting up VS Code for debugging Rust

1. Install the rust-analyzer extension in VS Code.
2. Open the Command Palette in VS Code using Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).
3. Type “Rust: Select Toolchain” in the Command Palette and select the toolchain that matches your Rust installation.
4. Create a new launch configuration in VS Code by going to Run > Add Configuration… and selecting “Rust”.
5. Modify the launch configuration to suit your needs.

Debugging Rust code

1. Open the Rust file you want to debug in VS Code.
2. Set breakpoints in the code by clicking in the left margin next to the line numbers.
3. Start debugging by pressing F5 or by clicking on the “Run” button in the top menu.
4. VS Code will stop execution at the first breakpoint it encounters.
5. You can inspect variables, expressions, and registers using the Debug panel.

Some popular extensions for Rust development in VS Code include:

• rust-analyzer: Provides features like code completion, diagnostics, and debugging.
• Better TOML: Enhances syntax highlighting and validation for Cargo.toml files.
• Crates: Helps manage dependencies and updates crates in your project.

Overall, VS Code is a lightweight and versatile editor that can be used for Rust development and debugging. With the right extensions and setup, it can provide a powerful and efficient development experience.