Solidity support for Visual Studio code

Solidity is the language used in Ethereum to create smart contracts, this extension provides:

• Syntax highlighting
• Snippets
• Compilation of the current contract (Press F1 Solidity : Compile Current Solidity Contract), or F5
• Compilation of all the contracts (Press F1 Solidity : Compile all Solidity Contracts), or Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+F5
• Code completion for all contracts / libraries in the current file and all referenced imports
• Default project structure (solidity files needs to be in the 'src' directory, and libraries in the 'lib' directory). Libraries will follow the same structure.
• Compilation supporting EIP82 (dappfile and dependency packages)
• Support for different solidity versions (Remote and local)
• Code generation using https://github.com/Nethereum/Nethereum, it includes currently the default template for Nethereum service, dtos generation. (Open 'contractName.json' after compilation from the bin folder. Press F1 and press Solidity: Code generate from compilation output..) Auto generation of Nethereun files on compilation
• Linting using Solhint or Solium

Instructions

Using a different version of the solidity compiler

Sometimes you may want to use a different compiler than the one provided. You can find all the different versions in the solc-bin repository https://github.com/ethereum/solc-bin/tree/gh-pages/bin

Currently we support three ways supported to use a different version of the solidity compiler.

Remote download

When selecting remote download the compiler gets download from the solc-bin repository.

You will need to change the following user setting, with the version required, for example 'latest' or 'v0.4.3+commit.2353da71', for your workspace user setting (current project) or global user setting (all projects)

"solidity.compileUsingRemoteVersion" : "latest"

You can simply change this setting using the context menu:

Using a Local file

If you don't have an internet connection, you can download the compiler from https://github.com/ethereum/solc-bin/tree/gh-pages/bin and change your user settings to use this.

This setting takes prefernce over the remote installation.

"solidity.compileUsingLocalVersion" : "C:\\Users\\JuanFran\\Downloads\\soljson-v0.4.15%2Bcommit.bbb8e64f.js"

Npm / node installation

Another option, is to use the solc npm package in your project, if this setting is enabled it will try to find the compiler in your node_modules.

npm install solc 

"solidity.enableLocalNodeCompiler": false

Note: The above compilers, have an order of preference when using different settings are: Local node installation (Npm / node installation) will be used first, Local file second and finally remote.

If you are working on an specific project using an older version, you can use npm install locally to target that specefic version, without affecting the global setting.

But if you want to use the latest version of solidity for all the projects and have online connectivity all the time, use the setting:

"solidity.compileUsingRemoteVersion" : "latest"

In case one of your dependencies has a nested dependency on a solc version, effectively breaking the remote version setting from above, you have to disable the node compiler like so:

"solidity.enableLocalNodeCompiler": false

ERC, ERC drafts and Smart contracts snippets / reference

It is pretty hard sometimes to find interfaces or information about an EIP (ERC) or specific libraries to simply get started working with Solidity. The solidity extension now includes ERC approved and most drafts (wip) to help get you started.

Just type ```erc`` and select the erc example or interface you want.

Smart contract project interfaces

In a similar to way to ERCs and as we work towards to more interoperable smart contracts, being able to quickly examine those interfaces that you want to integrate is a time saver.

The current release includes the interfaces for Uniswap V2 (to get started), just type ```uni`` to list them all.

Note: If an ERC or your project is not included, please create a pull request. Note: Only established projets will be included.

Compiler optimization

Optimize for how many times you intend to run the code. Lower values will optimize more for initial deployment cost, higher values will optimize more for high-frequency usage. The default value is 200. "solidity.compilerOptimization": 200

Project structure

OpenZeppelin (Default)

If you're using @openzeppelin/contracts, the OpenZeppelin Contracts will be found in your node_modules folder, so the user settings will be the following, assuming your solidity project is at root.

  "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesContractsDirectory": "",
  "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesDirectory": "node_modules"

If you have a deeper structure, like

Solution
└───solidity_project
│   │
|   │   xx.sol
│   └───node_modules
│   
└───Nethereum_Project
|   │   xx.cs
|   │   yy.cs
|
└───Web3Js_Project
|   │   xx.js
|   │   yy.js

Your user settings configuration will need to represent the full structure:

  "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesContractsDirectory": "",
  "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesDirectory": "solidity_project/node_modules"

Dappsys (old ERC)

The project / library dependency structure can use the DappSys library model, this was the default mode before as it was part of an ERC:

Libraries will have the same name as their folder they are included. Solidity files will be in the 'src' folder. Libraries will be included in the 'lib' folder.

Currently there is no name conflicting resolution, so the first library found matching a name, will be the first one used.

The user settings for this structure is:

  "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesContractsDirectory": "src",
  "solidity.packageDefaultDependenciesDirectory": "lib"

Code completion

Autocomplete is generally supported across for smart contracts, structs, functions, events, variables, using, inheritance. Autocomplete should happen automatically or press Ctrl+Space or Command+Space in areas like "import".

Auto compilation and error highlighting

Auto compilation of files and error highlighting can be enabled or disabled using user settings. Also a default delay is implemented for all the validations (compilation and linting) as solidity compilation can be slow when you have many dependencies.

"solidity.enabledAsYouTypeCompilationErrorCheck": true,
"solidity.validationDelay": 1500

Linting

There are two linters included with the extension, solhint and solium / ethlint. You can chose your preferred linter using this setting, or disable it by typing ''

Solhint

To lint Solidity code you can use the Solhint linter https://github.com/protofire/solhint, the linter can be configured it using the following user settings:

"solidity.linter": "solhint",
"solidity.solhintRules": {
  "avoid-sha3": "warn"
}

This extension supports .solhint.json configuration file. It must be placed to project root directory. After any changes in .solhint.json it will be synchronized with current IDE configuration.

This is the default linter now.

NOTE: Solhint plugins are not supported yet.

Solium / Ethlint

Solium is also supported by the extension https://github.com/duaraghav8/Solium, you can configure it using the following user settings:

"solidity.linter": "solium",
"solidity.soliumRules": {
    "quotes": ["error", "double"],
    "indentation": ["error", 4]
},

Formatting using Prettier and the Prettier Solidity Plugin

Formatting is provided thanks to the Prettier plugin for Solidity for more info check https://prettier.io/ and https://github.com/prettier-solidity/prettier-plugin-solidity

Formatting uses the default formatting settings provided by prettier, if you want to provide your custom settings create a .prettierrc file as follows

{
  "overrides": [
    {
      "files": "*.sol",
      "options": {
        "printWidth": 80,
        "tabWidth": 4,
        "useTabs": true,
        "singleQuote": false,
        "bracketSpacing": true,
        "explicitTypes": "always"
      }
    }
  ]
}

If you would like to format on save, add this entry to your user / workspace settings:

"editor.formatOnSave": true

Code generation Nethereum

The extension integrates with the Nethereum code generator to create Contract integration definitions. You can either generate the api for a single contract, all compiled contracts, or automatically every time you compile a smart contract solidity file.

The simplest way to code generate a the contract definition for a smart contract is to right click and select the project / language you require:

Automatic code generation and the Nethereum Code generation settings file.

If you want to automatically code generate your api, every time to you compile, you can do this creating a file "nethereum-gen.settings" at the root of your project, with the following contents. You can create it automatically using the context menu too.

{
    "projectName": "Solidity.Samples",
    "namespace": "Solidity.Samples",
    "lang":0,
    "autoCodeGen":true,
    "projectPath": "../SoliditySamples"
}

"lang" indicates what language to generate the code, 0 = CSharp, 1 = Vb.Net and 3 = FSharp

The "projectName" and "namespace" settings will be used for the manual code generation also.

Use the "projectPath" to set the relative path of your .Net project, this allows to work in a "solution" mode so you can work as an both in Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio (Fat) with your .Net project, or two windows of vscode.

Abi contract code generation

You may have only the abi of a smart contract and want to code generate the contract definition. Just create a file containing the abi, with the extension .abi and another with the .bin content (if needed) and use this context menu.

Single smart contract manual code generation

To code generate the Nethereum contract api from a single smart contract, you need to select the compiled "json" output file from the "bin" folder, press F1 and start typing "Solidity: Code generate" and select what language you want to generate for the current selected file.

All smart contracts manual code generation

To code generate the Nethereum contract for all smart contracts already compiled, just press F1, and start typing "Solidity: Code generate" and select the option for all contracts for your desired language.

(Depricated) Analysis of smart contracts with Mythx

Mythx analysis tool, has been moved to its own stand alone extension, please download it here.

Contributing / Issues / Requests

For ideas, issues, additions, modifications please raise an issue or a pull request at https://github.com/juanfranblanco/vscode-solidity/ and send a message on gitter at https://gitter.im/vscode-solidity/Lobby or https://gitter.im/Nethereum/Nethereum to get an instant notification.

Credits

Many thanks to:

Christian Reitwiessner and the Ethereum team for Solidity https://github.com/ethereum/solidity

Raghav Dua and everyone that contributed to Solium, the solidity linter, and the solidity parser.

Ilya Drabenia for creating the Solhint linter and the integration into the extension.

Nexus team for the original creation of the dappfile to structure contracts in projects https://github.com/nexusdev/dapple.

Beau Gunderson for contributing the initial integration of solium https://github.com/juanfranblanco/vscode-solidity/issues/24, the initial server and error mappings.

Mattia Richetto, Klaus Hott Vidal and Franco Victorio for creating the Prettier Solidity plugin and of course all the developers of Prettier. Please go to https://github.com/prettier-solidity/prettier-plugin-solidity for help and collaboration.

Bram Hoven for starting the multiple package dependency support for different environments (node_modules, lib)

Piotr Szlachciak for refactoring the syntaxes

Forest Fang for providing the implementation of the "Go to definition", allowing you to navigate to structs, contracts, functions calls, etc

Bernardo Vieira for adding the capability to read the solium settings from a file in the workspace root directory.

Mirko Garozzo and Rocky Bernstein for the work on creating and integrating the Mythx api to analyse smart contracts.

Nick Addison, Elazar Gershuni, Joe Whittles, Iñigo Villalba, Thien Toan, Jonathan Carter, Stefan Lew, Nikita Savchenko, Josh Stevens, Paul Berg for their contributions.

Sebastian Bürgel for keeping reminding me of the offline installation suppport

David Krmpotic and Ralph Pichler for the original Sublime extension https://github.com/davidhq/SublimeEthereum

Everyone for their support and feedback!