Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful code editor that supports multiple programming languages and offers extensive customization options through extensions. These extensions can significantly improve your workflow, increase productivity, and make development more enjoyable. In this article, we will explore the top 15 VS Code extensions that every developer should install.

1. Prettier

Prettier is a popular extension for automatic code formatting. It supports multiple languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS. Prettier helps maintain a consistent coding style by automatically fixing formatting issues when saving a file.

Advantages:

• Supports multiple languages
• Customizable formatting rules
• Automatic fixing of formatting issues

2. ESLint

ESLint is a code analysis tool that helps find and fix problems in JavaScript and TypeScript code. It allows for customizable rules and ensures code consistency within a team.

Advantages:

• Customizable rules
• Supports various coding styles
• Integration with Prettier for automatic fixing

3. GitLens

GitLens is an extension that significantly enhances Git capabilities in VS Code. It allows for visualizing change history, author information, and more, right in the editor.

Advantages:

• Visualizes change history
• Displays author information for each code line
• Convenient tools for version comparison

4. Live Server

Live Server enables running a local server with automatic page updates when code changes are made. This is especially useful for web developers, as it allows for real-time changes.

Advantages:

• Instant page updates
• Easy to use
• Supports various file formats

5. Remote - SSH

Remote - SSH allows connecting to remote servers via SSH and working on projects located on those servers, directly from VS Code. This is especially useful for developers working with cloud servers or remote teams.

Advantages:

• Convenient access to remote projects
• Full integration with the local editor
• Supports all VS Code features

6. GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered development assistant that suggests code lines and functions based on your context. This can significantly speed up the coding process and help with complex tasks.

Advantages:

• Intelligent code suggestions
• Supports multiple programming languages
• Accelerates development process

7. Thunder Client

Thunder Client is a lightweight API testing client that allows sending requests and viewing responses directly from VS Code, without the need for external tools like Postman.

Advantages:

• Convenient interface for API work
• Ability to save requests for reuse
• Easy to use

8. Markdown All in One

Markdown All in One is an extension that simplifies working with Markdown files. It provides features like auto-completion, preview, and table of contents creation.

Advantages:

• Convenient hotkeys for Markdown work
• Automatic preview of documentation
• Useful tools for creating tables of contents

9. Import Cost

Import Cost displays the size of imported packages directly in the editor, helping to optimize application size and improve performance.

Advantages:

• Visualizes imported module sizes
• Helps optimize application performance
• Convenient for working with large projects

10. Error Lens

Error Lens highlights errors and warnings in code immediately after they appear, helping to quickly find and fix problems.

Advantages:

• Instant error and warning highlighting
• Improves code readability by highlighting problematic areas
• Convenient for working with large projects

11. Tabnine AI Autocomplete

Tabnine is an AI-powered autocomplete tool that suggests code completions based on your context.

Advantages:

• Fast code autocompletion
• Supports multiple programming languages
• Improves development productivity

12. Todo Tree

Todo Tree helps organize your tasks directly in the code, collecting all TODO comments in one place for easy task management.

Advantages:

• Simplifies task management
• Easy access to all TODO comments from one place
• Ability to customize keywords for tasks

13. Pylance

For Python developers, Pylance provides powerful IntelliSense capabilities, including autocompletion, type hints, and error diagnostics.

Advantages:

• Improved Python support in VS Code
• Fast autocompletion and type hints
• Integration with other Python development tools

14. VSCode Icons

This extension replaces standard file icons with more attractive and informative icons, making it easier to navigate through projects.

Advantages:

• Improves visual project perception
• Easy to find needed files thanks to icons
• Supports various file formats and programming languages

15. Project Manager

Project Manager allows for quick switching between projects without the need to open new windows or tabs.

Advantages:

• Simplifies managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Quick access to recent projects
• Ability to group projects by categories

Conclusion

Choosing the right extensions can significantly improve your experience with Visual Studio Code. These tools can help you increase productivity, improve code quality, and simplify project management. Try installing a few of them and see how they can change your workflow!