whatisgithub

What is vscode-go?

microsoft/vscode-go — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-26

★ 5,901TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

In one sentence

Microsoft's original home for the Go language extension for Visual Studio Code, now archived. The project moved to golang/vscode-go in 2020 and this repository is no longer updated.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((vscode-go))
    Status
      Archived 2020
      No new activity
    Original Purpose
      Code completion
      Formatting support
      Error checking
    New Home
      golang/vscode-go
      Go team maintained
    Audience
      Go developers
      VS Code users
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Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Browse the archived history of Microsoft's Go VS Code extension before it moved to the Go team

USE CASE 2

Find the redirect link to the current golang/vscode-go extension that is actively maintained

What is it built with?

TypeScript

How does it compare?

microsoft/vscode-gopalantir/tslintpawanosman/chatgpt
Stars5,9015,9085,893
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

So what is it?

This repository was Microsoft's original home for the Go language extension for Visual Studio Code, a popular code editor. The extension adds support for writing Go code inside VS Code, providing features like code completion, formatting, and error checking. In June 2020, the project moved to a new location at github.com/golang/vscode-go, where it is now maintained directly by the Go team. This repository is no longer actively developed. The README is brief and exists mainly to redirect visitors to the new home. If you are looking for the current Go extension for VS Code, you should visit the golang/vscode-go repository instead. This archived version here has no new activity and the README does not describe the extension's features in any detail.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I found microsoft/vscode-go but it is archived. How do I install the current Go extension for VS Code from golang/vscode-go and set up code completion?
Prompt 2
Set up Go development in VS Code using the golang/vscode-go extension: enable formatting on save, linting, and the debugger for a Go module project.
Prompt 3
Help me migrate my VS Code Go extension settings from an old configuration to the current golang/vscode-go extension.

Frequently asked questions

What is vscode-go?

Microsoft's original home for the Go language extension for Visual Studio Code, now archived. The project moved to golang/vscode-go in 2020 and this repository is no longer updated.

What language is vscode-go written in?

Mainly TypeScript. The stack also includes TypeScript.

How hard is vscode-go to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is vscode-go for?

Mainly developer.

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