Giving VS Code a Second Try

[MalikRumi]

1. I have the Python extension "enabled globally". I assume that means if I want to use it in a specific project, I have to install it to that workplace's venv. So, following the instructions at https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python&ssr=false#overview, I hit control + p, pasted in the code, and..... it was installed globally.

• I don't know why it didn't notice there was already a global install
• I don't know how to get it to install to the desired venv - unless that only works with pip
• • But, putting 'ms-python.python' into the pypi search engine gets a ton of junk, and 'vscode', with 817 hits, is not much better. I see nothing that clearly says 'this is the python extension for vscode", and I certainly don't see why I should search so hard to get it.
• It seems that just because I have the venv working on the active terminal and/or repl, that has nothing to do with the environment (or lack thereof) for the scripts and snippets I am working on in the editor. This is the one thing that drove me mad about ST3: I could never tell if the scripts I was working on were in a venv - any venv, or not, nor could I get that silly and unduly complex settings system they (and you, apparently) use to work both correctly and consistently.

2. The documentation always seems to assume I am starting from scratch. I found something about creating venvs (finally) but nothing about using pre-existing ones. I put the path to my virtualenvs folder in the 'getting started' dialog I found - but nothing doing. The little blue bar at the bottom says Python 3.9.7, while the venv for the project I'm working on - and the terminal with venv I have open - is Python 3.8.
3. I wanted to set my margins. A simple sounding task. But 'margin' gets no hits in the command palette. After some searching, it turns up under 'rulers'. Rulers? Seriously? Using synonyms I get. But rulers and not margins? What is that?

[brettcannon]

I have the Python extension "enabled globally". I assume that means if I want to use it in a specific project, I have to install it to that workplace's venv.

Extensions in VS Code are either enabled or disabled. You can enable globally or disable globally. You can then disable or enable per workspace, respectively. So there's nothing to install into your virtual environments.

It seems that just because I have the venv working on the active terminal and/or repl, that has nothing to do with the environment (or lack thereof) for the scripts and snippets I am working on in the editor.

It depends on how you activated your terminal. If you activate your terminal and then launch VS Code from that terminal we should pick that fact up and select the activated virtual environment. But if you activate it manually then we don't really have a way to pick that up.

I put the path to my virtualenvs folder in the 'getting started' dialog I found - but nothing doing.

I'm not sure which prompt you're referring to.

The little blue bar at the bottom says Python 3.9.7, while the venv for the project I'm working on - and the terminal with venv I have open - is Python 3.8.

Please see our [docs on selecting your interpreter](he little blue bar at the bottom says Python 3.9.7, while the venv for the project I'm working on - and the terminal with venv I have open - is Python 3.8.). Basically, run Select Interpreter and from there you can either select or specify the path to your virtual environment.

But rulers and not margins? What is that?

What do you mean by "margins" in this context? When I hear the term "margin" I think of the blank space on a piece of paper where you write margin notes. See this photo from Wikipedia and the red line to the left of the sheet; that's what I think of when I think "margin".

The use of "ruler" for a vertical line is common, e.g. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9910143/how-to-make-ruler-always-be-shown-in-sublime-text-2 . Technically it's a "vertical line at a specific column", but that's a mouthful 😉, so "ruler" is used instead.