To Add or Edit Code Snippet Definitions (AutoLISP/VS Code)

Code snippets are stored in the snippets.json file that is part of the AutoCAD AutoLISP Extension; you can add new or edit existing code snippets to improve your efficiency when writing AutoLISP programs. The snippets.json file is written in JSON and supports C-style comments. Each code snippet should contain the following attributes:

• name – A unique name for the code snippet; used if no description is provided
• prefix – Defines the name to be typed and displayed in the IntelliSense list to insert the code snippet
• body – Expressions that define the code snippet, can contain new lines, tabs, and placeholders
• description – Defines the text that should be displayed in the IntelliSense tooltip for the code snippet

The following shows the basic definition of a code snippet:

"ifprogn": 
  {
    "prefix": "ifp",
    "body":
      [
        "(if (${1:testexpr})",
            "\t(progn",
            "\t\t(${2:thenexpr})",
            "\t)",
        ")"
      ],
    "description": "if progn expression"
  }

1. In Visual Studio Code or another text editor, open the snippets.json file.

   Based on your OS, the snippets.json file can be found in one of these locations:

   • Windows – %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\autodesk.autolispext-n.n.n\snippets
   • Mac OS – ~/.vscode/extensions/autodesk.autolispext-n.n.n/snippets
   Note: n.n.n in the previous paths is a placeholder, the actual version of the AutoCAD AutoLISP Extension will vary over time as the extension is updated.
2. In the snippets.json file, add your new code snippet or change an existing one.
   Note: Be careful about where you insert new text or which text you change, the formatting of the file is critical to it being properly parsed.
3. Save the snippets.json file and test the code snippet changes.