Configure Your Development Environment

To start working on aplang projects, it is recommended to use Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Git is not strictly required, but it is highly recommended for version control.

Step 1: Install GitHub Desktop and Git VCS

Install GitHub Desktop

  1. Download GitHub Desktop:

  2. Install GitHub Desktop:

    • Windows/macOS: Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
    • Linux: See your individual distributions documentation for installation information.
    • Git version control should automatically be installed by GitHub Desktop.

Step 2: Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Install VS Code on Windows

  1. Visit the VS Code download page: VS Code Download.

  2. Download the installer for Windows: Click on the "Windows" download link.

  3. Run the installer: Double-click the installer file (VSCodeSetup-x64-<version>.exe).

  4. **Follow the on-screen installation prompts.

    • Make sure to check "Add to PATH"
    • Also check "Register code as an editor for supported file types"
    • OPTIONAL: "Add to context menu"

Install VS Code on Linux

  1. Install VSCode with your distro's package manager

Install VS Code on macOS

  1. Visit the VS Code download page: VS Code Download.

  2. Download the installer for macOS: Click on the "macOS" download link to download a .zip file.

  3. Install VS Code:

    • Open the .zip file to extract the contents.
    • Drag the extracted Visual Studio Code.app file to your "Applications" folder.

Step 3: Set Up a Project Directory

Create a GitHub Repository with GitHub Desktop

  1. Open GitHub Desktop: Launch the GitHub Desktop application.

  2. Create a New Repository:

    • Click on "File" > "New Repository."
    • Fill in the repository name and choose the local path where you want to create the repository.
      • We recommend using the default path.
    • Click "Create Repository."

Open the Project Directory in VS Code

Using GitHub Desktop:

  • In GitHub Desktop, make sure your repository is selected.
  • Click on the "Repository" menu, then select "Open in Visual Studio Code." This will open the repository in VS Code.

Alternative Method:

  • If the "Open in Visual Studio Code" button is not available, click on the "Show in Explorer" (Windows) or "Show in Finder" (macOS) button to open the repository folder in your file explorer.
  • Right-click the folder and select "Open with Code" (if this option is available) or open VS Code, click on "File" > "Open Folder..." and navigate to your repository directory.

Create the main.ap File

  1. Open VS Code: Launch Visual Studio Code.

  2. Create a New File: Click on "File" > "New File" or press Ctrl + N (Cmd + N on macOS).

  3. Add Code: Enter the following code into your file

    DISPLAY("Hello World!")

  4. Save the File: Click on "File" > "Save As..." or press Ctrl + S (Cmd + S on macOS). Name the file main.ap and save it in your project directory.

  5. (Recommended): Also Enable autosave from from the "File" context menu.

Step 4: Install the VSCode Extension

  1. Find the Extension in the Visual Studio Marketplace: It is available here

    • Alternatively, search for ApLang in the "Extensions" tab in Visual Studio Code

  2. Install the Extension: Press the install Install button.

Step 5: Run the main.ap File with the aplang Binary

  1. Open Integrated Terminal in VS Code:

    • Go to "View" > "Terminal" or press Ctrl + `.

  2. Run the File: In the terminal, navigate to the directory containing main.ap and run the file using the aplang binary. You should see the output Hello World! in your console.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully setup an aplang project. You can now begin to develop more complex programs using aplang. You are ready to begin following along with the rest of this book.

Troubleshooting