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This tutorial shows you how to write and run Hello World program in Java with Visual Studio Code. It also covers a few advanced features, which you can explore by reading other documents in this section.
For an overview of the features available for Java in VS Code, see Java Language Overview
If you run into any issues when following this tutorial, you can contact us by clicking the Report an issue button below.
To help you set up quickly, you can install the Coding Pack for Java, which includes VS Code, the Java Development Kit (JDK), and essential Java extensions. The Coding Pack can be used as a clean installation, or to update or repair an existing development environment.
Install the Coding Pack for Java - Windows
Install the Coding Pack for Java - macOS
Note: The Coding Pack for Java is only available for Windows and macOS. For other operating systems, you will need to manually install a JDK, VS Code, and Java extensions.
If you are an existing VS Code user, you can also add Java support by installing Java Extension Pack, which includes these extensions:
Install the Java Extension Pack
The Java Extension Pack provides a Quick Start guide and tips for code editing and debugging. It also has a FAQ that answers some frequently asked questions. Use the command Java: Getting Started from the Command Palette (⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P)) to launch the guide.
You can also install extensions separately. The Extension Guide is provided to help you. You can launch the guide with the Java: Extension Guide command.
For this tutorial, the only required extensions are:
The supported version for running the VS Code for Java extension and the supported version for your projects are two separate runtimes. To run VS Code for Java, Java SE 11 or above version is required; for projects, VS Code for Java supports projects with version 1.5 or above. For more details, refer to Configure JDK.
To help you configure correctly, we provide a runtime configuration wizard. You can launch the wizard by opening the Command Palette (⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P)) and typing the command Java: Configure Java Runtime, which will display the configuration user interface below.
Note: To configure multiple JDKs, see Configure JDK. To enable Java preview features, see How can I use VS Code with new Java versions
Alternatively, you can configure JDK settings using the VS Code Settings editor. A common way to do this is setting the value of the JAVA_HOME system environment variable to the install location of the JDK, for example, C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-13.0.2
. Or if you want to configure only VS Code to use the JDK, use the java.home
setting in VS Code's User or Workspace settings.
When you need to install a JDK, we recommend you to consider installing from one of these sources:
Create a folder for your Java program and open the folder with VS Code. Then in VS Code, create a new file and save it with the name Hello.java
. When you open that file, the Java Language Server automatically starts loading, and you should see a loading icon on the right side of the Status Bar. After it finishes loading, you will see a thumbs-up icon.
Note: If you open a Java file in VS Code without opening its folder, the Java Language Server might not work properly.
VS Code will also try to figure out the correct package for the new type and fill the new file from a template. See Create new file.
You can also create a Java project using the Java: Create Java Project command. Bring up the Command Palette (⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P)) and then type java
to search for this command. After selecting the command, you will be prompted for the location and name of the project. You can also choose your build tool from this command.
Visual Studio Code also supports more complex Java projects, see Project Management.
You can use code snippets to scaffold your classes and methods. VS Code also provides IntelliSense for code completion, and various refactor methods.
To learn more about editing Java, see Java Editing.
To run and debug Java code, set a breakpoint, then either press F5 on your keyboard or use the Run > Start Debugging menu item. You can also use the Run|Debug CodeLens options in the editor. After the code compiles, you can see all your variables and threads in the Run view.
The debugger also supports advanced features such as Hot Code replacement and conditional breakpoints.
For more information, see Java Debugging.
The editor also has much more capability for your Java workload.