Install The VS Code Extension

The Aura Programming Language extension provides .au syntax highlighting, indentation, snippets, diagnostics, completion, hover, go-to-definition, and document symbols.

The extension bundles its JavaScript editor client and the language-server transport. Semantic analysis comes from the compiler's own server, which aura lsp starts. Install the Aura CLI first, then check that it works:

aura --version
aura help

Next, install the extension with one of the methods below. Then verify language support.

Install From Visual Studio Marketplace

1. Open the Extensions view in VS Code.
2. Search for Aura Programming Language from publisher JohnOlafenwa.
3. Select Install.
4. Reload VS Code.

• Open the Visual Studio Marketplace listing

To install from a terminal instead, run this command and then reload VS Code:

code --install-extension JohnOlafenwa.vscode-aura-lang

Install From Open VSX

Editors that use Open VSX, such as VSCodium, can install the same extension:

• Open the Open VSX listing

In VSCodium, search for Aura Programming Language in Extensions, or run:

codium --install-extension JohnOlafenwa.vscode-aura-lang

Install The Release VSIX Manually

A VSIX file is a packaged VS Code extension.

1. Download aura-language.vsix from the v0.6.0-preview release.
2. Open the Command Palette and choose Extensions: Install from VSIX....

To install from a terminal instead:

code --install-extension ./aura-language.vsix

By default, VS Code does not update extensions installed from a VSIX. To upgrade, install the next release's VSIX by hand.

Install In WSL

The Aura extension and the aura CLI must both run in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) environment. An extension installed only in the local Windows extension host cannot reliably reach the Linux compiler server.

1. Complete Install Aura On Windows With WSL.
2. From the Ubuntu terminal, open the project with code ..
3. Check that the remote status bar shows WSL: Ubuntu.
4. In that remote window, open Extensions, find Aura Programming Language, and select Install in WSL: Ubuntu.
5. In VS Code's integrated terminal, verify the remote environment:

command -v aura
aura --version

Use A Specific Aura Binary

The extension launches aura from PATH. To use a different binary, start VS Code with AURA_LSP_AURA_PATH set to that binary's absolute path:

AURA_LSP_AURA_PATH="$HOME/tools/aura/bin/aura" code /path/to/project

In WSL, run this command from the WSL terminal so the path is a Linux path.

Verify Language Support

Create or open a file ending in .au:

def greet(name: str) -> str:
    return f"hello {name}"

print(greet("Aura"))

Check each of the following:

1. The language mode in the lower-right corner reads Aura.
2. Keywords, strings, types, and interpolation get Aura highlighting.
3. An incomplete or invalid expression shows an AU#### diagnostic.
4. Completion appears after a binding or member-access prefix.
5. Hover shows type information from the compiler.

Troubleshooting

The file opens as plain text

Check that the filename ends in .au. Click the language mode in the lower-right corner and choose Aura.

Syntax colors work but semantic features do not

Syntax highlighting is bundled with the extension. Semantic features need aura lsp. Open VS Code's integrated terminal and run:

command -v aura
aura --version

After you fix PATH, restart VS Code. You can also launch it with AURA_LSP_AURA_PATH as shown above.

Inspect the language-server output

Open View → Output, then select Aura Language Server. Startup and request failures appear there. You do not need a separate server package.