love2d-template

This project is a basic template to start new LÖVE (Love2D) projects, pre-configured for use with VSCode.

Features

• Minimal structure to kickstart a Love2D project
• .vscode/tasks.json file to run the project quickly using the Cmd+Shift+B (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+B (Windows/Linux) shortcut
• Debugging support with VSCode (see below)
• Extension recommendations to improve the development experience

Debugging

This template is ready to be debugged directly from VSCode. With the required extensions installed, you can set breakpoints and debug your Love2D project just like any other supported language.

Important: To enable debugging, you must add the following line at the top of your main.lua (or your main script):

require("libs.debugger")

How to Debug

1. Make sure you have installed the required extensions listed below.
2. Add require("libs.debugger") at the top of your main.lua.
3. Open your main Lua file (e.g., main.lua).
4. Press F5 or go to the Run and Debug panel and click "Run and Debug".
5. Select the appropriate debug configuration if prompted (e.g., "Local Lua Debugger: Launch Love2D").
6. The project will start with debugging enabled. You can set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through your code.

Required Extensions

To use all features of this template, you must install the following VSCode extensions manually:

• sumneko.lua (Lua Language Server)
• janw.love-launcher (LÖVE Launcher)
• tomblind.local-lua-debugger-vscode (Local Lua Debugger)

You can find these requirements in .vscode/extensions.json as well.

How to Run the Project

1. Make sure you have LÖVE installed on your system.
2. Open the project in VSCode.
3. Use the shortcut Cmd+Shift+B (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+B (Windows/Linux) to run the project.

Adjusting tasks.json and launch.json for Your Operating System

Both .vscode/tasks.json and .vscode/launch.json are configured for macOS by default. You may need to change the path to the Love2D executable for your operating system.

Example: tasks.json (macOS default)

{
  "label": "Run LÖVE",
  "type": "shell",
  "command": "/Applications/love.app/Contents/MacOS/love",
  "args": [
    "${workspaceFolder}"
  ]
}

Example: launch.json (macOS default)

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Debug Love",
      "type": "lua-local",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": {
        "command": "/Applications/love.app/Contents/MacOS/love"
      },
      "args": [
        "${workspaceFolder}"
      ],
      "scriptRoots": [
        "${workspaceFolder}"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

If you are using Windows, change the path in both files to your Love2D executable, for example:

"command": "C:/path/to/love.exe"

If you are using Linux, change it to:

"command": "/usr/bin/love"

After editing, save the files and use the shortcut or F5 to run or debug the project.

About

This template was created to make it easier to start new Love2D projects, providing a ready-to-use VSCode setup, including tasks and extension recommendations.