Example user tasks for Free Pascal in VS Code

tasks.json

{
    // Based on: https://gist.github.com/pakLebah/dab98067e9a388a3a8d2f5c0b44a7d3f#file-tasks-json
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "options": {
        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
        "env": {
            // task settings for files and folders, use full path for commands
            "FPC_COMMAND": "fpc",
            "PROJECTFILE": "${relativeFile}",
            "PROJECTBASE": "${fileBasenameNoExtension}",
            "OUTPUT": ".build",
            "DEBUG": ".build/debug",
            "RELEASE": ".build/release",
            "DEPLOY": ".build/deploy",
            "EXTENSION": "",
            "PROCESSOR": "-Px86_64",
            "SYNTAX": "-Mobjfpc"
        }
    },
    "tasks": [
        { //! Build debug without any optimization
            "label": "fpc: Build Debug",
            "type": "shell",
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            },
            "command": "${FPC_COMMAND}",
            "args": [
                "${PROJECTFILE}", // main project file
                "${PROCESSOR}", // target processor
                "${SYNTAX}", // pascal syntax mode
                "-CroOti", // generated code setting
                "-O-", // disable optimization
                "-g", // debug info
                "-B", // rebuild all units
                "-v", // verbose message
                "-gw", // dwarf debug setting
                "-godwarfsets", // dwarf mode setting
                "-FE${DEBUG}", // output for binary
                "-FU${OUTPUT}" // output for units
            ],
            "presentation": {
                "focus": true
            },
            "problemMatcher": {
                "owner": "objectpascal",
                "fileLocation": [
                    "relative",
                    "${workspaceFolder}"
                ],
                "pattern": {
                    // capture FPC's error messages and display them in Problems panel
                    "kind": "location",
                    "regexp": "^(.*)\\((\\d.*),(\\d.*)\\) (Warning|Error|Fatal): (.*)$",
                    "file": 1,
                    "line": 2,
                    "column": 3,
                    "severity": 4,
                    "message": 5,
                    "loop": true
                }
            }
        },
        { //! Build release with full optimization
            "label": "fpc: Build Release",
            "type": "shell",
            "group": "build",
            "command": "${FPC_COMMAND}",
            "args": [
                "${PROJECTFILE}", // main project file
                "${PROCESSOR}", // target processor
                "${SYNTAX}", // pascal syntax mode
                "-CX", // generated code setting
                "-O3", // code optimization setting
                "-XXs", // executable setting
                "-B", // rebuild all units
                "-v", // verbose message
                "-FE${RELEASE}", // output for binary
                "-FU${OUTPUT}" // output for units
            ],
            "presentation": {
                "focus": true
            },
            "problemMatcher": {
                "owner": "objectpascal",
                "fileLocation": [
                    "relative",
                    "${workspaceFolder}"
                ],
                "pattern": {
                    "kind": "location",
                    "regexp": "^(.*)\\((\\d.*),(\\d.*)\\) (Warning|Error|Fatal): (.*)$",
                    "file": 1,
                    "line": 2,
                    "column": 3,
                    "severity": 4,
                    "message": 5,
                    "loop": true
                }
            }
        },
        { //! Syntax check without linking
            "label": "fpc: Syntax Check",
            "type": "shell",
            "group": "build",
            "command": "${FPC_COMMAND}",
            "args": [
                "${PROJECTFILE}", // main project file
                "${PROCESSOR}", // target processor
                "${SYNTAX}", // pascal syntax mode
                "-Se99", // maximum error found
                "-B", // rebuild all units
                "-v", // verbose message
                "-s", // syntax check mode
                "-FE${OUTPUT}", // output for binary
                "-FU${OUTPUT}" // output for units
            ],
            "presentation": {
                "focus": true
            },
            "problemMatcher": {
                "owner": "objectpascal",
                "fileLocation": [
                    "relative",
                    "${workspaceFolder}"
                ],
                "pattern": {
                    "kind": "location",
                    "regexp": "^(.*)\\((\\d.*),(\\d.*)\\) (Warning|Error|Fatal): (.*)$",
                    "file": 1,
                    "line": 2,
                    "column": 3,
                    "severity": 4,
                    "message": 5,
                    "loop": true
                }
            }
        },
        { //! Run code using InstantFPC (quick compile)
            "label": "fpc: Run Code",
            "type": "shell",
            "group": "test",
            "command": "instantfpc",
            "args": [
                "${PROJECTFILE}", // main project file
                "-B" // always build
            ],
            "presentation": {
                "focus": true
            },
            "problemMatcher": {
                "owner": "objectpascal",
                "fileLocation": [
                    "relative",
                    "${workspaceFolder}"
                ],
                "pattern": {
                    "kind": "location",
                    "regexp": "^(.*)\\((\\d.*),(\\d.*)\\) (Warning|Error|Fatal): (.*)$",
                    "file": 1,
                    "line": 2,
                    "column": 3,
                    "severity": 4,
                    "message": 5,
                    "loop": true
                }
            }
        },
        { //! Execute generated (debug) binary
            "label": "fpc: Execute Binary",
            "type": "shell",
            "group": {
                "kind": "test",
                "isDefault": true
            },
            "command": "./${DEBUG}/${PROJECTBASE}",
            "args": [],
            "presentation": {
                "focus": true
            },
            "problemMatcher": []
        },
        { //! Create build folders for compilation
            "label": "fpc: Create Build Folders",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "mkdir",
            "args": [
                "${OUTPUT}",
                "${DEBUG}",
                "${RELEASE}",
                "${DEPLOY}"
            ],
            "presentation": {
                "reveal": "silent"
            },
            "problemMatcher": []
        },
        { //! Remove compiler genereted files
            "label": "fpc: Remove Build Files",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "rm",
            "args": [
                "-rf", // remove them all!
                "${OUTPUT}/*.*", // unit files
                "${DEBUG}/{,.[!.],..?}*", // debug files
                "${RELEASE}/{,.[!.],..?}*", // release files
                "~/.cache/instantfpc/${PROJECTBASE}", // ifpc binary
                "~/.cache/instantfpc/${PROJECTBASE}.*" // ifpc source
            ],
            "presentation": {
                "reveal": "silent"
            },
            "problemMatcher": []
        }
    ]
}