"Error: Type Error: Bad argument" when opening a folder containing GO code when go is not on the path

[egamma]

From Pavan Patel (@v-pavanp) on March 15, 2016 4:14

• VSCode Version: Windows10
• OS Version:

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Install go from this location:https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/bd7675ba-1bf5-4395-8c5a-4fc19dfc0d76
2. Create directory structure and set environment variable for GOPATH, GOBIN. by following instruction provided at : https://golang.org/doc/install?download=go1.6.windows-amd64.msi
3. Now add a .go file under workspace dir and execute below command to generate a EXE under GOBIN file.
4. Once exe is generated successfully, open the workspace folder in VSCODE.
5. Open go file and install GO extension.
6. Verify extension installed successfully without any error.
7. Verify GOPATH error should not be displayed as environment variables are already been set.

Actual: Getting error message "Error : Type Error: Bad argument".

Expected: There should not be any error message like this.

Copied from original issue: microsoft/vscode#4224

[lukehoban]

Can you share any more details on when that error occurs? What action exactly caused it to appear? From the other warning, it sounds like you have also not installled the Go analysis tools yet - which may be the root problem.

Could you reopen with additional details?

[donlzx]

Same problem on Linux (Linux Mint 17.3) with Code v1.1.1. Here is some extra info that hopefully will help:

1. Open a command shell, enter "code" will bring up previous Go project folder with some opened files. No errors;

2. Click on the "Visual Studio Code" menu item on the desktop UI, thus opening the previous Go project folder with some opened files. In this case, the error shows up;

3. Press Alt+F2 and enter the "code" command, same problem as previous item.

Redo these steps with no previous Go project folder or files opened when starting Code. When starting from command line, there are no errors when opening project folders and files. Otherwise, same error when opening Go project folder and files.

[RReverser]

Luke Hoban (@lukehoban) Same problem on Mac OS with VS Code 1.3.0, fresh install of both Go, this extension and all the tools from README. No error details available, just "Error: TypeError: Bad argument".

Can you share any more details on when that error occurs? What action exactly caused it to appear?

Literally not doing anything, shows up immediately as I open Go file.

[kaakaa]

Same problem.

• Mac OSX
• VS Code 1.3.0
• vscode-go 0.6.39

And I found the cause of my problem.
The cause is that vscode-go cannot find go binary.

goPath#getGoRuntimePath() find go binary by one of the theree.

1. cached
2. GOROOT
3. PATH

goPath.js

function getGoRuntimePath() {
    if (runtimePathCache)
        return runtimePathCache;
    if (process.env['GOROOT']) {
        runtimePathCache = path.join(process.env['GOROOT'], 'bin', correctBinname('go'));
    }
    else if (process.env['PATH']) {
        var pathparts = process.env.PATH.split(path.delimiter);
        runtimePathCache = pathparts.map(function (dir) { return path.join(dir, correctBinname('go')); }).filter(function (candidate) { return fs.existsSync(candidate); })[0];
    }
    return runtimePathCache;
}

In my environment, there is go binary in /usr/local/bin/go, but PATH does not include /usr/local/bin.
If I set /usr/local/Cellar/go/1.6.1/libexec to go.goroot in settings.json of vscode-go, Message "Error : Type Error: Bad argument" is disappear.

[RReverser]

Yusuke Nemoto (@kaakaa) Oh thanks, that helped! In my case PATH did include paths to Go binaries as well as /usr/local/bin, but in MacOS it's not trivial to make GUI apps to respect same PATHs settings, and setting go.gopath alone in Code didn't help. Now with goroot all the tooling works as expected.

[cainiaoDJ]

thanks,just add a config of "go.goroot"

   //gopath 配置

    "go.gopath":"E://workspace//golang",

    "go.formatTool": "gofmt",

    "go.lintOnSave": true,

    "go.goroot":"E://Go",

[RReverser]

AlphaYang (@cainiaoDJ) Why are you setting //? If you're on Windows, it's \\ or just / (both should work).

[cainiaoDJ]

Ingvar Stepanyan (@RReverser) , you are right. It's my fault. thanks.

[roblourens]

Ran into this too right after installing go - can we provide a better error message?

[ramya-rao-a]

In the latest version (0.6.45) of the Go extension, a better error message "Cannot find "go" binary. Update PATH or GOROOT appropriately" will be shown when Go is not found.