How to define multiple tasks in VSCode

In Visual Studio Code (VSCode), defining multiple tasks can effectively assist developers in managing and executing various compilation, build, or run tasks for projects. These tasks are defined in the .vscode/tasks.json file. Below, I will provide a detailed explanation of how to define multiple tasks in VSCode, along with specific examples.

Step 1: Open or Create the tasks.json File

1. If your project does not already have a .vscode/tasks.json file, you can create a default template by navigating to Terminal -> Configure Default Build Task -> Create tasks.json file from template.
2. Select a template, such as Others, to create a basic tasks.json file.

Step 2: Configure Multiple Tasks

In tasks.json, you can define multiple tasks by adding multiple task objects to the tasks array. Each task object typically includes the following key properties:

• label: The task name, displayed as text when executing the task.
• type: The task type, usually shell or process.
• command: The command to run.
• args: An array of command arguments.
• group: Task grouping, which can be build or test, helping to organize related tasks.

Example: Defining Compilation and Test Tasks

Suppose you have a C++ project; you can define a compilation task and a test task as follows:

json
{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "label": "Compile C++ project",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "g++",
            "args": [
                "-g",
                "main.cpp",
                "-o",
                "main"
            ],
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            }
        },
        {
            "label": "Run Tests",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "./test_script.sh",
            "group": "test"
        }
    ]
}

Step 3: Execute Tasks

After defining tasks, you can execute them as follows:

1. Open the command palette (using the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P).
2. Type Tasks: Run Task.
3. Select a task to execute.

Conclusion

By using this approach, the tasks.json file in VSCode provides a flexible and powerful way to define and manage multiple tasks within a project. This helps simplify the development process, especially when dealing with larger or more complex projects.