X4 Code Debug

X4 Code Debug

X4 Code Debug is a pseudo debug adapter for Egosoft's X4: Foundations scripting language. Instead of attaching to the running game, the extension tails the game-generated log files, extracts diagnostics for the current mod, and mirrors relevant script trace output in the VS Code Debug Console.

✨ Features

• [] Tails the newest log file matching a configurable mask inside the game log directory.

  [] Ignores historical content at startup, then follows new lines in real time (even when logs rotate).

  [] Parses [=ERROR=] entries that belong to the active X4 extension and surfaces them as VS Code diagnostics.

  [] Detects AI and MD script debug messages, filters them against the extension’s scripts, and streams them to the Debug Console.

  [] Prefixes each Debug Console error or debug message with a timestamp so you can correlate events quickly.

  [] Works entirely offline — no dependency on launching the game from VS Code.

  ⚠️ Known limitations

  • [] There are no breakpoints, call stacks, or variable inspection since the game engine does not expose this information.

    [] The extension indexes only XML scripts inside aiscripts/ and md/ folders. Other script types are ignored.

    [] The extension does not parse or validate XML; it relies on well-formed scripts to provide accurate diagnostics.

    🚀 Getting started

    Install the extension

    Via VS Code Marketplace

    Directly from VS Code

    • [] Open VS Code and go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).

      [] Search for "X4CodeDebug" and click "Install".

      [] Reload VS Code if prompted.

      From the web

      • [] Visit the X4 Code Debug page on the VS Code Marketplace.

        [] Click the "Install" button, which will prompt you to open VS Code and install the extension.

        [] Reload VS Code if prompted.

        Via VSIX file

        • [] Download the latest .vsix.zip file from the Nexus Mods: X4 Code Debug.

          [] Extract the .vsix file from the downloaded .zip archive.

          [] In VS Code, open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).

          [] Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select "Install from VSIX...".

          [] Choose the downloaded .vsix file and click "Open".

          [] Reload VS Code if prompted.

          Setup a launch profile

          [] Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift