Setting up BGA Development environment using VSCode

Microsoft Visual Studio Code is light weight IDE/Editor. All desktops.

Downloads

• Download and install vscode from https://code.visualstudio.com
• Download and install php (7.4) command line interface (for local tests and debugging)

Extensions

• PHP Intelephense - https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=bmewburn.vscode-intelephense-client
• PHP Debug - https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=xdebug.php-debug
• SQL Tools - https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=mtxr.sqltools
• Prettier - code formatter - https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=esbenp.prettier-vscode
• SFTP (by Natizyskunk) - https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Natizyskunk.sftp

Navigation/Auto-complete

JavaScript:

Because of dojo style class/method declarations most IDE won't be able to index main JavaScript file properly (i.e. go to definition of function and such). If you manage to have it working in VS code some-how let us know how.

There is way to re-structure code to avoid using this style but this is not for begginers, do not use this on your first game! https://en.doc.boardgamearena.com/BGA_Studio_Cookbook#Avoiding_code_in_dojo_declare_style

Complete example also in "dojoless" project, it also includes typescript definition file (.d.ts) (not complete) for auto-completion of js BGA interfaces https://github.com/elaskavaia/bga-dojoless

PHP:

You can shut up undefined symbols errors in PHP if you setup fake project refernce to BGA stubs

• git clone git@github.com:elaskavaia/bga-sharedcode.git
• add refrence to bga-sharedcode/misc/module

If you using intellephense plugin add this to settings (modify the path obviously)

   "intelephense.environment.includePaths": [
       "/home/victoria/git/bga-sharedcode/misc/module/"
   ],

File Sync

You might rely on your IDE to sync the files with the SFTP server. Each time you "save" a file with your modifications, the IDE will also submit it to the sFTP server. These are instructions for VS Code

• Install this extension https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Natizyskunk.sftp (File->Preferences->Extensions ... type SFTP and make sure its by Natizyskunk)

• Open VSCode on an empty folder that will be the local root of your project.

• Execute Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac to open the command palette, and the type/run : "SFTP: config" - the edit will open with json config

• Update the json as below:

{
    "name": "BGA",
    "host": "1.studio.boardgamearena.com",
    "protocol": "sftp",
    "port": 22,
    "username": "<your SFTP username>",
    "password": "<your SFTP password>",
    "remotePath": "/<your project name>/",
    "uploadOnSave": true,
    "ignore": [
        ".vscode",
        ".git",
        ".DS_Store"
    ],
    "syncOption": {
        "skipCreate": false, # syncs new files
        "delete": true # syncs deleted files
    }
}

- Execute Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac to open the command palette, and the type/run : "SFTP: Download Project".

This will download all the files locally, and each time you modify/save a file in VSCode, it will upload it to the SFTP Server. To force upload to a server, execute Ctrl+Shift+P -> "SFTP: Sync Local -> Remote".

Note: the SFTP sync may fail with a permissions error when create or delete nested folders. To fix this, execute `chmod 755 -R <your directory name>` in your terminal, then force sync to remote.

If you want to commit this file to version control, use private key (see other wiki for steps on how to enable private key on bga) instead and move user/password settings vscode user settings I.e. in user setting add this (have to edit settings.js manually, google for location its os specific)

    "remotefs.remote": {
        "bgadev": {
            "name": "BGA",
            "host": "1.studio.boardgamearena.com",
            "protocol": "sftp",
            "port": 22,
            "username": "<yourdevusername>",
            "privateKeyPath": "~/.ssh/id_rsa",
        },
      }

in project folder sftp.json

{
    "remote": "bgadev",
    "remotePath": "/<yourproject>/",
    "uploadOnSave": true,
    "ignore": [
        ".git"
    ],
    "syncOption": {
        "skipCreate": false, 
        "delete": true 
    },
    "watcher": {
        "files": "**/*.{js,css}",
        "autoUpload": true,
        "autoDelete": true
    }
}

Note: you don't need watcher section if you don't use code generators, but its needed if you use typescript, scss or similar code generator tools.

Code Formatter

I think Prettier has better format, you can install Prettier plugin to do the formatting, for PHP add the following in package.json

 "devDependencies": {
   "@prettier/plugin-php": "^0.19.1",
   "prettier": "^2.7.1"
 },
 "prettier": {
   "braceStyle": "1tbs"
 }

Code generators

If you want to run code generators for example for typescript or scss you can install this expention:

• https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=emeraldwalk.RunOnSave

In settings.json add these (example only):

   "emeraldwalk.runonsave": {
       "commands": [
           {
               "match": ".*\\.ts$",
               "isAsync": true,
               "cmd": "npm run build:ts"
           },
           {
               "match": ".*\\.scss$",
               "isAsync": true,
               "cmd": "npm run build:scss"
           }
       ]
   }

In this example build:ts and build:scss are scripts configured via package.json

Another example - you can run php script that will generate material.inc.php from misc/xxx_material.csv

     {
       "match": "misc/.*material\\.csv$",
       "isAsync": true,
       "cmd": "php7.4 ${env.HOME}/git/bga-sharedcode/misc/genmat.php ${file}"
     }

User templates

You can define user template to avoid writing boiletplate code, here is example of php template for states (it is placed in global location php.json - you can open it from the gui File->Preferences->Configure User Snippets and type php

{
  "Single player state": {
    "prefix": ["state", "playerstate"],

    "body": [
      "$LINE_COMMENT playerTurn${1:something}",
      "${1/(.*)/STATE_PLAYER_TURN_${1:/upcase}/} => [",
      "'name' => 'playerTurn${1:something}',",
      "'description' => clienttranslate('\\${actplayer} must ${1:something}'),",
      "'descriptionmyturn' => clienttranslate('\\${you} must ${1:something}'),",
      "'type' => 'activeplayer',",
      "'args'=>'arg_playerTurn${1:something}',",
      "'action'=>'st_playerTurn${1:something}',",
      "'possibleactions' => [ 'playCard', 'pass' ],",
      "'transitions' => [",
      "'next' => STATE_GAME_TURN_NEXT_PLAYER,",
      "'loopback' => ${1/(.*)/STATE_PLAYER_TURN_${1:/upcase}/} ]",
      "],"
    ],

    "description": "Create single player state defition, use tab to fill template parameters"
  },

  "Multiple player state": {
    "prefix": ["mstate", "multiplayerstate"],

    "body": [
      "$LINE_COMMENT mplayerTurn${1:something}",
      "${1/(.*)/STATE_MPLAYER_TURN_${1:/upcase}/} => [",
      "'name' => 'mplayerTurn${1:something}',",
      "'description' => clienttranslate('Other players must ${1:something}'),",
      "'descriptionmyturn' => clienttranslate('\\${you} must ${1:something}'),",
      "'type' => 'multipleactiveplayer',",
      "'args'=>'arg_mplayerTurn${1:something}',",
      "'action'=>'stMakeEveryoneActive',",
      "'possibleactions' => [ 'playCard', 'pass' ],",
      "'transitions' => [",
      "'next' => STATE_GAME_TURN_NEXT_MPLAYER,",
      "'loopback' => ${1/(.*)/STATE_MPLAYER_TURN_${1:/upcase}/} ]",
      "],"
    ],

    "description": "Create multi player state defition, use tab to fill template parameters"
  },
  "Action in action.php": {
    "prefix": ["action"],
    "body": [
      "public function ${1:actionName}() {",
      "\tself::setAjaxMode();",
      "\t\\$${2:arg} = self::getArg('${2:arg}', AT_posint, false, 0);",
      "\t\\$this->game->action_${1:actionName}(\\$${2:arg});",
      "\tself::ajaxResponse();",
      "}"
    ]
  }

}