Thalla Jayanth

Installation of CPH Extension in VS Code

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Thalla Jayanth
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4 min read

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction to Visual Studio Code

    • Overview

    • Features and Benefits

  2. Installing Visual Studio Code

    • Windows

      • Downloading the Installer

      • Running the Installer

      • Launching Visual Studio Code

    • macOS

      • Downloading the Installer

      • Installing Visual Studio Code

      • Launching Visual Studio Code

    • Linux

      • Downloading the Package

      • Installing the Package

      • Launching Visual Studio Code

  3. Post-Installation Setup

    • Adding Visual Studio Code to PATH

    • Installing Essential Extensions

    • Syncing Settings Across Devices

  4. Setting Up a Competitive Programming Environment

    • Installing Competitive Programming Helper (CPH) Extension

    • Installing Competitive Companion Browser Extension

  5. Configuring Competitive Programming Helper (CPH)

    • Basic Configuration

    • Parsing Problems with Competitive Companion

    • Running Test Cases in Visual Studio Code

  6. Submitting Codeforces Solutions Using CPH

    • Installing cph-submit Browser Extension

    • Creating and Configuring tasks.json

    • Setting Up Key Bindings for Submission

  7. Additional Customizations

    • Setting Default Programming Language

    • Using Code Templates

    • Customizing VS Code Workspace Settings

  8. Troubleshooting and Tips

    • Common Issues and Solutions

    • Best Practices for Competitive Programming with VS Code

  9. Resources and Further Reading

    • Official Visual Studio Code Documentation

    • CPH Extension Documentation

    • Competitive Programming Blogs and Tutorials

1. Introduction to Visual Studio Code

Overview: Visual Studio Code is a lightweight but powerful source code editor that runs on your desktop and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Features and Benefits: Includes support for debugging, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, code refactoring, and embedded Git.

2. Installing Visual Studio Code

Windows

Downloading the Installer:

Running the Installer:

  • Run the downloaded .exe file and follow the setup wizard. Ensure "Add to PATH" is selected.

Launching Visual Studio Code:

  • Open from the Start menu or by typing code in Command Prompt.

macOS

Downloading the Installer:

Installing Visual Studio Code:

  • Extract the .zip file and move Visual Studio Code.app to the Applications folder.

Launching Visual Studio Code:

  • Open from the Applications folder or via Spotlight.

Linux

Downloading the Package:

Installing the Package:

  • For Debian/Ubuntu:

      sudo dpkg -i <file>.deb
  sudo apt-get install -f

  • For Fedora:

      sudo rpm -i <file>.rpm

Launching Visual Studio Code:

  • Start from the application menu or terminal by typing code.

3. Post-Installation Setup

Adding Visual Studio Code to PATH: Ensures you can open VS Code from the terminal using code.

Installing Essential Extensions:

  • Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X) and install necessary extensions like CPH.

Syncing Settings Across Devices: Use GitHub or Microsoft account to sync settings.

4. Setting Up Competitive Programming Environment

Installing Competitive Programming Helper (CPH) Extension:

  • Search for "Competitive Programming Helper" in the Extensions view and install it.

Installing Competitive Companion Browser Extension:

  • Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons.

5. Configuring Competitive Programming Helper (CPH)

Basic Configuration:

  • Open any folder in VS Code.

  • Use Competitive Companion to load problems into VS Code.

Parsing Problems with Competitive Companion:

  • Click the green plus icon on problem pages to import them into VS Code.

Running Test Cases in Visual Studio Code:

  • Use Ctrl+Alt+B to run test cases.

6. Submitting Codeforces Solutions Using CPH

Installing cph-submit Browser Extension:

Creating and Configuring tasks.json:

  • Create tasks.json in the .vscode folder and configure it for your workflow.

Setting Up Key Bindings for Submission:

  • Define key bindings in VS Code settings for easy submission (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+F).

7. Additional Customizations

Setting Default Programming Language:

  • Modify CPH settings to set your preferred programming language.

Using Code Templates:

  • Add template files for quick setup.

Customizing VS Code Workspace Settings:

  • Adjust settings.json for optimal performance and usability.

8. Troubleshooting and Tips

Common Issues and Solutions: Refer to the CPH and VS Code documentation for troubleshooting common problems.

Best Practices for Competitive Programming with VS Code: Tips on optimizing your competitive programming setup.

9. Resources and Further Reading

Official Visual Studio Code Documentation: Comprehensive guide and documentation.

CPH Extension Documentation: Detailed instructions and features.

Competitive Programming Blogs and Tutorials:

This table of contents provides a structured guide to setting up and using Visual Studio Code for competitive programming, particularly with the CPH extension for Codeforces submissions.