sonicpieditor README

This is an extension to work with Sonic Pi within vscode. It will launch Sonic Pi's backend when you open a ruby file.

At the moment this is run as an extension in development, so see the Requirements section below for instructions on how to run it.

Please feel free to contribute with your Pull Requests. Any help is welcome!

Also, if you like this project or are interested in its progress, it would be great if you star it in github to help spread the word! Thank you!

Features

This is just starting, but we already have enough features to have some fun!

• Configurable Sonic Pi server launch options. Now you can choose between:

  • always: launches the server when vscode starts
  • ruby: launches the server when there is a ruby file visible in vscode (this is the default)
  • custom: launches the server when there is a file with your given custom extension visible in vscode
  • never: do not launch the server automatically (use the Sonic Pi: Start Server command)

• Configurable Sonic Pi root path, in case the default does not work for you

• Can run code pressing Alt-R (or Cmd-R on Mac, just like in Sonic Pi's editor) or with command palette "Sonic Pi: Run" (see Screenshot)

• Can stop running audio with Alt-S (or Cmd-S on Mac) or "Sonic Pi: Stop"

• Can run the selected code with Alt-T (or Cmd-T on Mac). If there is no code selected, it will offer to run the whole file instead (and persist the choice)

• Shows logs and cues in the output panel (see logs and cues)

• Some snippets like live_loop, effects, synths, samples, and possibly more coming soon. See the snippets directory for the full list and contribute new ones if you feel like it!

  • fx -> instantiate effect with autocomplete list chooser
  • fx x (where x is a letter) -> effect instantiation
  • us -> instantiate synth with autocomplete list chooser
  • us x (where x is a letter) -> specific synth instantiation
  • sa -> instantiate sample with autocomplete list chooser

• Highlight errors as reported by the Sonic Pi server

• And of course, you have syntax highlighting, autoformatting, all the goodies that you usually have with vscode!

• See a very short video of Robin Newman's arrangement of "Pase El Agua" launched from this extension, showing the thing working, logs, etc: Video

(You can find Robin's original work here: https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/three-more-pieces-for-sonic-pi/2434).

Requirements

The extension runs in development mode. Follow these steps:

• Go to the extension directory (where this file is located)
• run "npm install", to install the necessary node dependencies
• run "code .", to open the extension directory in vscode
• press F5 to run the extension
• (optional) see the Sonic Settings in vscode and configure how you want to start the server, by default it will launch when there is a ruby file visible in the editor

If you run into problems, let me know, and I'll do my best to help you set this up.

Make sure you configure the Sonic Pi root path in the configuration if the default setting does not work for you Open Settings -> Extensions -> Sonic Pi -> Sonic Pi Root Directory

Known Issues

I have not tested this in Linux yet. Works nicely in Windows and Mac.

Open questions