VS Code AutoLisp Extension - Load DCL Files

[bbeilke]

I apologize if this has already been covered.  I searched the forum and didn't have any luck finding an answer.

In preparing to upgrade our department to the 2021 version of Autodesk software, I need to modify an existing LSP program.  I am trying to use the VS Code AutoLisp Extension for the first time.  The program I'm working on makes use of multiple DCL dialog boxes for user input.  However, I haven't figured out how to get my DCL file to load or be used in the LSP debugging process.

If anybody knows of some good tutorials for using DCL files with the VS Code AutoLisp Extension or if you can explain the process to me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Sea-Haven]

Search here for Reinaldo Togores he has written a book about it.

[bbeilke]

Thank you for the suggestion.  However, when I searched on "Reinaldo Togores" on this board, I only found one thread that referenced a book of his but that book had nothing to do with the new VS Code AutoLisp Extension.  I did do a Google search and found and got a copy of his book  "AutoCAD 2021 VS Code Update".  While this book is a good reference, it barely mentions DCL files and certainly doesn't cover debugging a program in VS Code that uses DCL dialogs.  Most of the references to DCL files occur in the making an executable file section.

Is everyone here still using the old VLIDE interface rather than VS Code?  Has no one debugged programs in VS Code that use DLC dialogs?

[Sea-Haven]

Maybe direct the question to Autodesk after all they are the ones pushing this direction.

[Anonymous]

Currently the old VLIDE has tools for previewing DCL files that are not available in VSCODE. If what you get in the preview is not what you wish, you will have to modify the DCL code. As to the interaction between LSP and DCL, you debug the LSP code the same as with any other program. 

[bbeilke]

Debugging the LSP code itself is not my problem.  This program makes use of multiple dialogs for user input.  I cannot fully test/debug the LSP program in VS Code without the input required via the various dialogs.  In fact, the debug process for the LSP code exits at the first call for the main dialog when VS Code cannot find that object.  This is a 3600+ line application, not the more typical lisp "routine". 

It sounds like I'm basically SOL at this time in terms of VS Code.  I'm going to try just editing LSP file and then compiling and running it from AutoCAD to test/debug the whole application.  If that proves to be too much of a hassle, I'll just go back to VLIDE.

Thanks everyone.

[Anonymous]

If I was facing a task like yours, I would go the old many times tested way. This VS Code plugin for AutoLISP is in its initial steps. Much has to be done before it is a match to what we still have with VLIDE. It introduces valuable things like Source Code Management but it lacks many things that are related to VLIDE running inside AutoCAD and not as an independent program.