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Uno Platform Adds Support for Visual Studio Code 🎉

One of the things I admire about Uno Platform is how quickly it continues to evolve. I’ve been following its journey since 2018, and every new milestone feels like proof that this project is growing in the right direction.

Today, I’m excited to share another step forward: Uno Platform now supports Visual Studio Code!

Until now, most Uno Platform development has happened in Visual Studio on Windows. With this update, developers can now build and debug WebAssembly applications using Visual Studio Code, regardless of whether they’re on Windows, Linux, or macOS.

For me, as someone who works on the testing side of the Uno Platform, this is a significant change. It lowers the barriers for people who want to try Uno Platform and makes the experience of contributing more accessible to the global open-source community.

About Uno Platform 🌍

For those who may be new to it, Uno Platform is an open-source project that allows you to create single-source C# and XAML apps that run everywhere:

  • iOS and Android
  • Windows
  • Web (via WebAssembly)
  • macOS and Linux

In other words, it brings the ‘write once, run everywhere’ idea to reality using technologies that many developers are already familiar with. Uno Platform has been open source since 2018 under the Apache 2.0 license, and you can find it on GitHub.

What’s New in April 2020 🚀

The big news is that Uno Platform apps can now be created and debugged in Visual Studio Code. This means:

  • You can use Uno Platform without needing the full Visual Studio IDE.

  • Developers on Linux and macOS can now work with Uno directly.

  • Debugging WebAssembly projects in the browser is possible right inside VS Code.

It’s important to note that, at this stage, VS Code support focuses on WebAssembly projects only. However, this is already a significant development because it makes Uno Platform much more inclusive and accessible.

Why This Matters ✨

From a developer and community perspective, this change is significant:

  • Cross-platform accessibility → You’re no longer tied to Windows.

  • Lightweight setup → VS Code is fast, easy to install, and already widely used.

  • More contributors → By making Uno Platform easier to set up, more people can test, experiment, and contribute to the project.

For me personally, it also means I can better follow along with the testing process across different environments. As a QA Analyst, I often look at the user journey and the flexibility of tools — and this is exactly the kind of step that makes testing smoother and contributions easier.

A Quick Look at the Setup 🛠️

The Uno Platform team shared a simple way to get started with VS Code:

  1. Install Uno Platform templates with a dotnet command.

  2. Create a new WebAssembly-only project.

  3. Open the project in Visual Studio Code.

  4. Install the required extensions for C# and JavaScript debugging.

  5. Run the project and place breakpoints to debug C# directly in the browser.

Even the basic “Hello World” demo shows how quickly you can get an Uno Platform app up and running in VS Code. Click a button, see the text update, and confirm that Uno Platform is working correctly right inside the browser.

My Personal Takeaway 💡

As someone who started with Uno Platform back in 2018, mostly from the testing side, it’s been amazing to watch this project grow. First, it impressed me with the way it runs across Android, iOS, and Windows from one codebase. Now, seeing Uno Platform move into Visual Studio Code makes me realize how serious the project is about reaching developers everywhere.

I might not be a programmer writing these apps, but I see the impact in testing: it’s faster, more flexible, and much easier for new contributors to jump in. And that, in the end, is what makes a project thrive — lowering the barriers so more people can join.

Call to Action 📌

If you’d like to try it yourself, you can find the full announcement and setup guide here:
👉 Uno Platform Blog – Announcing Uno Platform Support for Visual Studio Code

And of course, all the source code is open on GitHub:
👉 Uno Platform GitHub Repository

I’m looking forward to seeing what the community builds now that Visual Studio Code support is part of Uno Platform. This is just the beginning of another exciting chapter.