Positron Extensions

WarningMinimum requirements for this course
  1. Positron Stata extension installed and configured.

Why? Positron extensions add language support, tooling, and AI features to the editor. The extensions below are required for AI-assisted Stata workflows in this course.

What you need to do:

  1. Install extensions in positron:
    1. Positron Stata extension (or alternative Stata MCP).
    2. stataglow extension for Stata syntax highlighting.
    3. databot extension for AI-assisted data analysis in R (optional).
    4. Other extensions as desired (e.g., Python, R, Quarto support).
  2. Set correct settings for some extensions, e.g.
    1. Set Stata installation path in Positron settings.
    2. Set Stata MCP server settings for autonomous agent use (optional).
    3. Set stataEdition to mp, se, or be depending on your Stata license.
  3. Verify that Stata runs correctly from Positron.

Extensions overview

Positron/VS Code ships with minimal built-in functionality by design — extensions add support for specific languages, tools, and workflows without bloating the core editor.

Notable extensions for this course:

  • Positron Assistant — installed by default; provides AI code suggestions and completions via GitHub Copilot and other AI providers.
  • Claude Code — agentic AI coding using Anthropic’s Claude models.
  • Positron Databot — AI-assisted data analysis and visualization.

Installing any extensions

Open the Extensions panel with Ctrl+Shift+X or click the square icon Extensions panel on the left sidebar.

To install any extension:

  1. Search for it by name
  2. Click Install
  3. If prompted “Do you trust the publisher?”, click Trust and Install
  4. If needed, reload Positron: Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

Extensions panel

Extensions panel

Positron–Stata integration

Stata has no built-in editor integration. Extensions bridge the gap by connecting Positron to Stata’s backend, enabling an AI-assisted coding workflow. Three components work together:

  1. Stata 18+ with Model Context Protocol (MCP) support executes Stata code.
  2. Python + uv — sends code to Stata and captures output.
  3. A Positron extension — surfaces results in the editor UI.
WarningKnown limitations
  • Custom logs not supported — log using <filename> conflicts with the extension’s own logging. Stata only allows one log at a time. Use capture log using <filename> to bypass this limitation.
  • Bugs are possible — report issues to the extension developers (links below).

Which extension to install?

Two extensions provide Stata integration. Install one — not both.

Extension Recommendation Highlights
Positron Stata Recommended Native Positron integration (console, data viewer, plots)
Stata MCP Alternative More mature; better for VS Code / Cursor users
stataglow Stata syntax highlighting works with either extension

Key differences:

Feature Positron Stata Stata MCP
Console output in Positron ✅ ✅
Data viewer ✅ ❌
Multiple Stata sessions ✅ ❌
AI agent integration ✅ ✅
MCP support ✅ ✅
Maturity New (2026) More mature (2023)
Good for… Positron users who want native integration VS Code / Cursor users who want MCP support

Positron Stata

Native Positron integration of Stata with console, data viewer, plots. Help and documentation are on GitHub along with issue reporting: github.com/ntluong95/positron-stata.

To install it:

  1. Open the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)

  2. Search for Positron Stata or ntluong95.positron-stata

  3. Click Install -> Trust and Install

  4. Reload Positron: Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

  5. Open settings in Positron (Ctrl+,).

  6. Search for positron.stata.installationPath

  7. Set the path to your Stata installation, e.g. C:\Program Files\StataNow19\ (adjust if Stata is installed elsewhere).

  8. Create a new .do file and run exemplary code to verify the extension is working (or open an existing one).

    • create test.do with:

      sysuse auto
summarize price
display "Stata is working!"

    • Save the file (Ctrl+S) — unsaved edits are not executed.

    • Run the file (Ctrl+Shift+D or Ctrl+Shift+P → Stata: Run Current File)

  • Create and run .do files
  • AI agent integration
  • Console: execute Stata code and see output
  • Environment: variables and globals
  • Data: view, and explore
  • Figures: display, manage, and export
  • Have multiple Stata sessions

Stata MCP Extension

The Stata MCP extension enables Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Stata. Help and documentation are on the Open VSX page.

To install it:

  1. Open the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)

  2. Search for Stata MCP or DeepEcon.stata-mcp

  3. Click Install -> Trust and Install

  4. Reload Positron: Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

  5. Open settings in Positron (Ctrl+,).

  6. Search for stata-vscode.stataPath

  7. Set the path to your Stata installation, e.g. C:\Program Files\StataNow19\ (adjust if Stata is installed elsewhere).

  8. Search for stata-vscode.stataEdition and set it to mp, se, or be depending on your Stata license.

  9. Create a new .do file and run exemplary code to verify the extension is working (or open an existing one).

    • create test.do with:

      sysuse auto
summarize price
display "Stata is working!"

    • Save the file (Ctrl+S) — unsaved edits are not executed.

    • Run the file (Ctrl+Shift+D or Ctrl+Shift+P → Stata: Run Current File)

  • Run Stata .do files directly from Positron
  • AI agent integration (GitHub Copilot, Claude) with full context of your Stata environment
  • Functions with other IDEs and tools that support MCP (e.g. VS Code, Cursor)

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