Setting Up Perl in VSCode on macOS: A Complete Guide

Revisiting Perl and integrating it with modern IDEs like Visual Studio Code (VSCode) can be both exciting and challenging. Many developers, especially those on macOS, encounter several hurdles while setting up Perl with VSCode. This blog post provides a step-by-step guide to installing Perl, configuring the Perl Language Server, and addressing common issues related to module path configurations in VSCode.

Step 1: Installing Perl and Necessary Tools

To start, you need to install Perl and some essential tools:

1. Install Perl:
   Open Terminal and use Homebrew to install Perl:

   brew install perl
   

   Verify the installation:

   perl --version
   

2. Install cpanminus:
   cpanminus simplifies the module installation process:

   brew install cpanm
   

Step 2: Setting Up Perl Language Server

After Perl is installed, the next step is to set up the Perl Language Server, which enhances VSCode’s capability to handle Perl scripts by providing features like syntax highlighting, code navigation, and more.

1. Install Perl Language Server:
   Use cpanminus to install the Perl Language Server:

   cpanm Perl::LanguageServer
   

Step 3: Configuring VSCode

With Perl and the Language Server installed, you now need to configure VSCode:

1. Install the Perl Extension:
   In VSCode, go to the Extensions view by clicking on the square icon on the sidebar, or by pressing Cmd+Shift+X. Search for “Perl” and install the extension by Gerald Richter.

2. Configure the Perl Language Server:
   Occasionally, the installation paths for Perl modules are not automatically recognized by VSCode. To fix this, you might need to manually set the module paths in VSCode settings.

   • Open VSCode settings by clicking on “Perl” at the bottom-right of the VSCode window, then select “Configure ‘Perl’ based language settings.”
   • Add the Perl module paths to settings.json. For example:

     "perl.perlInc": [
       "/Users/yourusername/perl5/lib/perl5"
     ]
     

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Mismatched Binaries Error:
   If you encounter an error like “ListUtil.c: loadable library and perl binaries are mismatched”, it suggests a version mismatch between Perl binaries and modules. This can happen if you have multiple Perl installations. A solution is to specify the correct Perl interpreter in VSCode settings:

   "perl.perlCmd": "/usr/bin/perl"
   

2. Running Perl Scripts:
   When you try to run Perl scripts using F5 and face issues finding certain modules (Can't locate XYZ in @INC), ensure the module path is included in your VSCode settings under perl.perlInc.

Example: Running a Perl Script in VSCode

Here’s a simple Perl script to test your setup:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

print "Hello, Perl in VSCode!\n";

Save this script with a .pl extension, set the language mode to Perl if VSCode doesn’t detect it automatically, and run the script by pressing F5.

Setting up Perl on VSCode on macOS involves several steps from installing Perl using Homebrew, setting up the Perl Language Server with cpanminus, to configuring module paths in VSCode. This setup enables a more productive environment for developing Perl applications using modern tools and editors. Whether you’re revisiting Perl after a time or are new to it, integrating it with VSCode can significantly enhance your coding experience.