I've been trying to set up Visual Studio Code with what I think was GGC for the compiler, but it's been a nightmare. I've jumped through so many hoops just to figure out what to download and where to get it, plus dealing with command prompts. Now I'm stuck on this JSON issue—I don't get it at all. There's an 'Add Configuration' button that I'm supposed to use, but I have no idea what to select. Whenever I try to run my simple hello world program (which feels overly complicated), it opens some search feature in Visual Studio instead of executing my code and gives me a 'process not selected' error. It's super frustrating! Given how tough this all seems, should I just give up learning to code? This whole journey to set up a coding environment feels overly complicated. I've tried following online tutorials, but they all seem outdated and unhelpful. I'm just trying to learn programming, inspired by some complex Excel formulas I've worked with.
3 Answers
You’re definitely starting off on a challenging path with Visual Studio Code and GCC, especially if you're new to coding. If you're on Windows, I highly recommend trying Visual Studio instead. It's more beginner-friendly and handles the setup for you. Just create a new project and you can start coding right away. And don't worry too much about JSON right now; it's a format used for configs. Focus on getting your first program running and you can tackle those setup hurdles step by step later.
It sounds like you're trying to run the debugger in VS Code instead of your actual program. The JSON file is likely the launch.json, which configures where to run the debugger, but it won’t help you run your program directly. Forget about it for now—just run your code using the terminal. For example, if you’re running C, compile it with `gcc file.c -o executable` and run it directly using `./executable`. It’s less complicated than dealing with all those configurations.
JSON is just a way to format data, and in your case, it’s being used to store VS Code configurations. It’s a bit confusing at first, especially since it’s designed for developers who are familiar with it. If you're just getting started with coding, don't stress about it. Try your hello world program without the IDE for now—just use a text editor and run it in the terminal. If the website tutorials feel outdated, maybe checking out newer resources or courses could help you out.
Great advice! Simplicity is key when learning. Getting comfortable with basic tools first will help you grow from there.
Yeah, switching to Visual Studio would make things so much easier. I struggled with setups too, but once I made the change, everything clicked!