GenLayer VS Code Extension

Official VS Code extension for developing GenLayer intelligent contracts with Python, featuring real-time linting, code intelligence, and deployment tools.

Features

🔍 Real-time Linting

• Automatic validation of GenVM contract files on save and edit
• Inline diagnostics with error squiggles and hover information
• Comprehensive rule checking for GenVM-specific syntax and patterns

📝 Code Intelligence

• Smart snippets for common GenVM patterns
• Syntax highlighting for GenVM-specific types and decorators
• Auto-completion for GenVM types and decorators

⚙️ Configurable Rules

• Rule filtering - enable/disable specific linting rules
• Severity levels - customize error/warning/info levels
• Workspace settings - per-project configuration

Installation

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.8+ with the GenVM linter package installed:

   pip install genvm-linter

2. VS Code 1.74.0+

Install Extension

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "GenVM Linter"
4. Click Install

Manual Installation

1. Download the .vsix file
2. In VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+P
3. Type "Extensions: Install from VSIX"
4. Select the downloaded .vsix file

Usage

Automatic Linting

The extension automatically detects GenVM contract files by looking for:

• Files with the GenVM magic comment: # { "Depends": "py-genlayer:test" }
• Python files with "contract", "genvm", or "genlayer" in the filename

Manual Commands

Access these commands via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac):

• GenLayer: Lint Current File - Lint the active Python file for GenLayer compliance
• GenLayer: Lint Workspace - Lint all GenLayer contracts in the workspace
• GenLayer: Show GenLayer Output - Show the GenLayer output channel with diagnostic logs
• GenLayer: Debug - Display debug information about the extension and linter
• GenLayer: Test Lint - Test the linter with a sample contract to verify setup
• GenLayer: Install Dependencies - Install required Python packages (genvm-linter, mypy)
• GenLayer: Create Contract - Create a new intelligent contract from a template
• GenLayer: Deploy Contract - Deploy the current contract to a GenLayer network

Code Snippets

Type these prefixes and press Tab:

• genvm-contract - Complete contract template
• genvm-magic - Magic comment
• genvm-import - GenLayer import
• genvm-view - Public view method
• genvm-write - Public write method
• genvm-dataclass - Storage dataclass
• genvm-treemap - TreeMap field
• genvm-dynarray - DynArray field

Configuration

Configure the extension through VS Code settings:

{
  "genlayer.linting.enabled": true,
  "genlayer.linting.severity": "warning",
  "genlayer.linting.showSuggestions": true,
  "genlayer.linting.excludeRules": [],
  "genlayer.python.interpreterPath": "python3"
}

Available Settings

Setting	Type	Default	Description
genlayer.linting.enabled	boolean	true	Enable/disable GenLayer linting
genlayer.linting.severity	string	"warning"	Minimum severity to show (error, warning, info)
genlayer.linting.showSuggestions	boolean	true	Show fix suggestions in diagnostics
genlayer.linting.excludeRules	array	[]	Rules to exclude from linting
genlayer.python.interpreterPath	string	"python3"	Path to Python interpreter

Example Workspace Settings

{
  "genlayer.linting.enabled": true,
  "genlayer.linting.severity": "error",
  "genlayer.linting.excludeRules": ["genvm-magic-comment"],
  "genlayer.python.interpreterPath": "/usr/local/bin/python3.11"
}

Validation Rules

The extension validates the following GenVM-specific rules:

Structure Rules

• ✅ Magic comment on first line
• ✅ GenLayer import statement
• ✅ Single contract class extending gl.Contract

Type System Rules

• ✅ Sized integers in storage (u256, u64, etc.)
• ✅ GenVM collections (TreeMap, DynArray)
• ✅ Correct return types (int not u256)
• ✅ Dataclass storage decorators

Decorator Rules

• ✅ Proper @gl.public.view/@gl.public.write usage
• ✅ No decorators on constructors
• ✅ State modification detection

Example

# { "Depends": "py-genlayer:test" }

from genlayer import *

class TokenContract(gl.Contract):
    balance: u256  # ✅ Correct: sized integer for storage
    owner: Address

    def __init__(self, initial_balance: int):
        self.balance = initial_balance
        self.owner = gl.message.sender_address

    @gl.public.view  # ✅ Correct: view decorator for read-only
    def get_balance(self) -> int:  # ✅ Correct: int return type
        return self.balance

    @gl.public.write  # ✅ Correct: write decorator for state changes
    def transfer(self, to: str, amount: int):
        if amount > self.balance:
            raise gl.Rollback("Insufficient balance")
        self.balance -= amount

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Working

1. Check that Python is installed and accessible
2. Verify genvm-linter package is installed: pip show genvm-linter
3. Check the GenVM Output channel for error messages
4. Ensure Python interpreter path is correct in settings

Linting Not Triggering

1. Verify file contains GenVM magic comment
2. Check that linting is enabled in settings
3. Save the file to trigger linting
4. Check Output → GenVM Linter for error messages

Python Path Issues

1. Set absolute path in genlayer.python.interpreterPath
2. Use the Python interpreter where genvm-linter is installed
3. Test manually: python3 -m genvm_linter.cli --version

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test the extension
5. Submit a pull request

Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/genlayerlabs/vscode-extension.git
cd vscode-extension
npm install
npm run compile

Press F5 in VS Code to launch Extension Development Host.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Related

• GenVM Linter - Python CLI package (pip install genvm-linter)
• GenLayer Documentation
• GenLayer Studio
• GenLayer Protocol