Visual Studio Code extensions

Official Upbound providers include schemas that you can leverage to enhance your Upbound development experience when authoring compositions. In Visual Studio Code, your Upbound project gets:

• Inline schema information
• Linting
• Autocompletion

Upbound supports Python, KCL, and Go schemas.

tip

This documentation focuses on Visual Studio code, but other popular editors also support Python and KCL schemas, linting, and autocompletion.

Refer to the KCL language server, Python language server, or Go language server documentation to learn how to configure support for your preferred editor.

Installation

Python

To install the Python extension, search for Python in your extensions search bar or go to the Marketplace in Visual Studio Code.

Crossplane functions require Python 3.11, 3.12, or 3.13. Follow the Python extension documentation to learn how to install Python. up builds Python functions in a container, so your local Python installation only provides editor features.

Upbound uses Pydantic Python schemas. Follow the Pydantic Visual Studio Code guide to enable autocompletion and type checking.

To resolve imports from the generated models package, create a venv virtual environment in each function's directory and install the function into it:

cd functions/<function-name>
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
pip install -e ../../.up/python

The last command installs the generated models in editable mode, so your editor picks up models that up regenerates when you add dependencies or change XRDs. Run it again after each pip install -e ., which replaces the editable models with a copy. up ignores the .venv directory when it builds your function.

Follow the Python extension documentation to learn how to select the virtual environment in Visual Studio Code.

KCL

To install the KCL extension, search for KCL in your extensions search bar in Visual Studio Code or go to the Marketplace.

Go

To install the Go extension, search for Go in your extensions search bar in Visual Studio Code or go to the Marketplace.

Go Templating

When editing Go Templating functions, use The YAML extension. To install it, search for YAML in your extensions search bar in Visual Studio Code or go to the Marketplace.

Go Templating functions generated with up function generate contain modelines that instruct Visual Studio Code to use the YAML extension when editing them. This requires the Modelines extension.

Usage

After you install the extensions, you must use an official Upbound provider that includes bundled schemas.

In your project upbound.yaml file, specify the provider and the latest version:

apiVersion: meta.dev.upbound.io/v1alpha1
kind: Project
spec:
  dependsOn:
  - provider: xpkg.upbound.io/upbound/provider-aws
    version: v0.13.0

Once configured, you can generate functions, open the code files in Visual Studio Code and start composing your resources.

Features

With the extensions and compatible Upbound provider, the following features are available:

Inline schema information

View descriptions, property types, and other schema details directly in your code editor window as you work with composed managed resources (MRs).

Python

vpc = v1beta1.VPC(
    apiVersion="ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1",
    kind="VPC",
    spec=v1beta1.Spec(
        forProvider=v1beta1.ForProvider(
            region="us-west-2",  # Hover to see description and type.
        ),
    ),
)

KCL

vpc = {
    apiVersion: "ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"
    kind: "VPC"
    spec.forProvider: {
        cidrBlock: "10.0.0.0/16"  # Hover to see description and type
        enableDnsHostnames: True  # Hover to see description and type
    }
}

Go

vpc := &v1beta1.VPC{
	APIVersion: ptr.To("ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"),
	Kind:       ptr.To("VPC"),
	Spec: &v1beta1.VPCSpec{
		ForProvider: &v1beta1.VPCSpecForProvider{
			CidrBlock:          ptr.To("10.0.0.0/16"), / Hover to see description and type
			EnableDNSHostnames: ptr.To(true),          / Hover to see description and type
		},
	},
}

Go Templating

---
apiVersion: ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1
kind: VPC
spec:
  forProvider:
    cidrBlock: "10.0.0.0/16" / Hover to see description and type
    enableDNSHostnames: true / Hover to see description and type

Linting

Real-time linting ensures:

• Property types are matched
• Managed resource required fields are populated

Python

vpc = v1beta1.VPC(
    apiVersion="ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1",
    kind="VPC",
    spec=v1beta1.Spec(
        forProvider=v1beta1.ForProvider(
            cidrBlock=10,  # Warning: Argument of type "Literal[10]" cannot be assigned to parameter "cidrBlock" of type "str | None"
            # Warning: Argument missing for parameter "region"
        ),
    ),
)

KCL

vpc = {
    apiVersion: "ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"
    kind: "VPC"
    spec.forProvider: {
        cidrBlock: 10  # Error: Expected string, got integer
        # Error: Missing required field 'region'
    }
}

Go

vpc := &v1beta1.VPC{
	APIVersion: ptr.To("ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"),
	Kind:       ptr.To("VPC"),
	Spec: &v1beta1.VPCSpec{
		ForProvider: &v1beta1.VPCSpecForProvider{
			CidrBlock: 10, / Error: cannot use 10 (untyped int constant) as *string value in struct literal
		},
	},
}

Go Templating

---
apiVersion: ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1
kind: VPC
spec:
  forProvider:    / Missing property "region"
    cidrBlock: 10 / Incorrect type: Expected "string"

Auto-completion

As you type, the extension suggests valid properties and values for managed resources.

Python

vpc = v1beta1.VPC(
    apiVersion="ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1",
    kind="VPC",
    spec=v1beta1.Spec(
        forProvider=v1beta1.ForProvider(
            region="us-west-2",
            ci  # Auto-complete suggests: cidrBlock, cidrBlockAssociations, etc.
        ),
    ),
)

KCL

vpc = {
    apiVersion: "ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"
    kind: "VPC"
    spec.forProvider: {
        ci  # Auto-complete suggests: cidrBlock, cidrBlockAssociations, etc.
    }
}

Go

vpc := &v1beta1.VPC{
	APIVersion: ptr.To("ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"),
	Kind:       ptr.To("VPC"),
	Spec: &v1beta1.VPCSpec{
		ForProvider: &v1beta1.VPCSpecForProvider{
			Ci / Auto-complete suggests: CidrBlock, AssignGeneratedCidrBlock, Ipv6CidrBlock, etc.
		},
	},
}

Go Templating

---
apiVersion: ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1
kind: VPC
spec:
  forProvider:
    ci / Auto-complete suggests: cidr, cidrBlock, etc.

Auto-generate composed resources

Scaffold a new managed resource by using the auto-generate feature.

Python

vpc = v1beta1.V  # Auto-complete suggests VPC

KCL

Start typing: vpc = {kind: "V"}
Select "VPC" from the autocomplete suggestions
The extension generates:
vpc = {
    apiVersion: "ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"
    kind: "VPC"
    spec.forProvider: {
        cidrBlock: ""
        region: ""
    }
}

Go

vpc := &v1beta1.V / Auto-complete suggests VPC etc.

Go Templating

---
apiVersion: # Auto-complete suggests ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1 etc.
kind: V     # Auto-complete suggests VPC etc.
spec:
  # Auto-complete generates the required fields:
  forProvider:
    region: 

Resource references

Navigate between related resources in your composition.

Python

    vpc = vpcv1beta1.VPC(**req.observed.resources["vpc"].resource)

    subnet = subnetv1beta1.Subnet(
        apiVersion="ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1",
        kind="Subnet",
        spec=subnetv1beta1.Spec(
            forProvider=subnetv1beta1.ForProvider(
                region=vpc.spec.forProvider.region,  # Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click on Mac) to navigate to the VPC definition
                vpcId=vpc.status.atProvider.arn,
            ),
        ),
    )

KCL

subnet = {
    apiVersion: "ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"
    kind: "Subnet"
    spec.forProvider: {
        vpcIdRef: {
            name: "my-vpc"  # Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click on Mac) to navigate to the VPC definition
        }
    }
}

Go

observedComposed, _ := request.GetObservedComposedResources(req)
observedVPC := observedComposed["vpc"]
observedVPCARN, _ := observedVPC.Resource.GetString("status.atProvider.arn")

subnet := &v1beta1.Subnet{
	APIVersion: ptr.To("ec2.aws.upbound.io/v1beta1"),
	Kind:       ptr.To("Subnet"),
	Spec: &v1beta1.SubnetSpec{
		ForProvider: &v1beta1.SubnetSpecForProvider{
			VpcID: &observedVPCARN, / Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click on Mac) to navigate to the observedVPCARN definition
		},
	},
}

Go Templating

Navigating to references isn't supported in Go Templating files.

Troubleshooting

If you're not seeing the enhanced features:

• Ensure you're using an official Upbound provider with bundled schemas.
• Check that the provider version in your upbound.yaml file matches the installed provider version.
• Reload your Visual Studio Code window or restart Visual Studio Code.