How to run Python script with arguments in VSCode

To run a Python script with arguments in VSCode, configure launch.json by opening the Run and Debug panel, creating or editing the launch.json file, and adding the desired arguments in the "args" array within the configuration. 2. In your Python script, use argparse or sys.argv to access the passed arguments, ensuring they match the order and format specified in launch.json. 3. Alternatively, manually run the script with arguments in the VSCode integrated terminal using the command python your_script.py arg1 --option value for quick tests without debugging. 4. For best results, use "${file}" to target the current file, set "console": "integratedTerminal" for clear I/O visibility, and create multiple configurations for different argument sets like "Test Mode" or "Prod Mode". Once launch.json is set up, you can reliably run and debug scripts with arguments using F5, leveraging standard VSCode and Python extension features without needing additional tools.

Running a Python script with arguments in VSCode is straightforward once you set up the configuration properly. Here's how to do it step by step.

✅ 1. Use launch.json to Pass Arguments

The most common and reliable way to run a Python script with command-line arguments in VSCode is by configuring a debug launch setting using launch.json.

Steps:

1. Open the Run and Debug panel
   Click on the "Run and Debug" icon in the Activity Bar (or press Ctrl Shift D).

   

2. Create a launch.json file
   If you don’t already have one:

   • Click "create a launch.json file"
   • Select Python as the environment
   • Choose "Python File" (it uses the currently selected file)

3. Edit the configuration to include arguments
   Modify the args array in launch.json to include your command-line arguments.

   

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Python: Run with Args",
            "type": "python",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "console": "integratedTerminal",
            "args": [
                "arg1_value",
                "arg2_value",
                "--option", "true"
            ]
        }
    ]
}

? Replace "arg1_value", etc., with the actual values you want to pass.

4. Start debugging
   Press F5 or click the "Run" button in the Debug panel — your script will run with the specified arguments.

✅ 2. Access Arguments in Your Python Script

Make sure your script uses sys.argv or argparse to read the arguments.

Example using argparse:

import argparse

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument("input_file")
parser.add_argument("--option", default="false")

args = parser.parse_args()

print(f"Input file: {args.input_file}")
print(f"Option: {args.option}")

With the launch.json config above, this would receive:

• input_file = "arg1_value"
• --option = "true"

✅ 3. Alternative: Run via Terminal (Manual)

If you don't want to use the debugger, you can manually run your script in the VSCode integrated terminal:

python your_script.py arg1 arg2 --flag value

This is quick for testing, but not ideal if you want consistent setups or debugging.

✅ 4. Pro Tips

• Use ${file} in launch.json so it always runs the currently open Python file.
• Set "console": "integratedTerminal" to see input/output clearly.
• You can create multiple configurations for different argument sets (e.g., "Test Mode", "Prod Mode").

Summary

Just set up launch.json once, and you can easily run and debug scripts with arguments anytime.

Basically, that’s it — no extensions needed, just standard VSCode Python extension.

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