Top 30 VS Code Extensions for Enhanced Programming - (r)

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According to the 2022 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 74.48 percent of 71,010 respondents said they used Visual Studio Code (VS Code)--this number has steadily grown through the years. VS Code has quickly become the go-to code editor for professionals across the globe due to its versatility as well as the numerous customisation options.

What is it that sets it apart and makes it truly exceptional? The answer lies in the extensive extensions it offers. The extensions let you unlock the full potential for VS Code, elevating it to a new level of efficiency as well as productivity.

In this article we look at and put an assortment of VS Code extensions that will help enhance your productivity.

9. General VS Code Extensions to Improve productivity

1. Prettier

Features:

• Automatically formats codes according to predefined rules.
• Enforces consistent code style across your projects.
• It is compatible with VS Code's formatting options and is triggered upon save or through keyboard shortcuts.

2. Remote SSH

The Remote - SSH extension of Visual Studio Code allows you to access remote servers or virtual machines with the secured SSH protocol. It offers a seamless user experience for development by allowing users to modify files, run commands and test applications right from your local VS Code instance in remote environments.

Features:

• Access remote servers or virtual machines using SSH.
• Edit files from remote systems as if they were local.
• Use scripts and commands to run on remote devices.
• Remotely test and debug software running in remote systems.
• Integration seamless is possible VS Code's rich editing and debugging features.

Notice type="info"]One extension you will always find in this article can be found in The Bracket Pair Colorizer, which allows you to better look through and interpret your code, by coloring those brackets which are the same. This extension has been removed because this function has been integrated into VS Code. [/notice]

3. Live Share

Live sharing enables real-time collaboration with other developers by allowing you to share your development environment. It permits shared editing, debugging, and terminal sessions, encouraging collaboration and efficiency, as well as providing seamless pairing programming.

Features:

• Live collaboration with other developers.
• Sharing editing, debugging as well as terminal sessions.
• Integrated chat functionality for effective chat for effective communication.
• Collaboration in code review, and pairs programming.

4. Better Reviews

Better comments adds color-coded comments to your program, making it simpler to differentiate between the different kinds of comments. There are a variety of prefixes you can use to emphasize important points, TODOs, warnings, and more.

Features:

• Custom comment types are supported as well as prefixes.
• Enhances understanding of code and organizes it.

5. CodeSnap

CodeSnap simplify the procedure of taking screenshots of code. The program captures the code fragments and creates images that you are able to easily send to others. This makes it ideal to document tutorials, documentation and sharing code via social media sites.

Features:

• Customizable code snapshot settings, including theme, font size as well as more.
• It supports a variety of image formats, such as PNG, JPEG, and SVG.

6. Code Runner

The Code Runner extension offers a simple way to run short code fragments or whole files using various programming languages from within Visual Studio Code. This eliminates the requirement to change between the editor and a separate terminal. This allows you to test and execute the code in a matter of minutes.

Features:

• You can execute code snippets, or complete documents in several programming languages.
• Customizable execution settings and command shortcuts.
• Ability to run programs in the terminal or output pane.
• Code execution is supported with input and output.
• Automatic selection of the appropriate compiler or interpreter based on the file's language.

7. Path Intellisense

Path Intellisense makes it easier to input file path information through intelligent autocompletion of the paths of your files within your program. It eliminates typos and ensures the accuracy of referencing files and modules inside your program.

Features:

• Supports relative and absolute pathways.
• Works seamlessly with various frameworks and programming languages.

8. vscode-icons

vscode-icons brings a touch of visual glamor for your code workspace through the replacement of default file icons with an array of stunning and intuitive icons.

Features:

• Offers an array of icons for different file types, folders, and the most popular programming languages.
• Offers various customization options allows you to change the size of icons, their opacity, and enable/disable specific icon sets according to the style and preferences of your code.
• Designate specific icons for folders that make it easier to visually distinguish between different components of your project.

9. Night Owl

Night Owl is a stunning visual theme that is compatible with VS Code that provides a comfortable and pleasant color palette to your code editor.

Features:

• Dark themes that ease the strain on your eyes, especially in long sessions of coding.
• Offers vibrant and well-defined syntax highlighting for a wide variety in programming language.
• Allows you to modify the theme's appearance by choosing the appropriate accent colors.
• It has high contrast and is legible text.

7 Web Development VS Code Extensions that will Boost Productivity

1. Live Server

Features:

• Start a local development server with live reloading.
• Automatic refresh of the browser when a file changes.
• Assistance to HTML, CSS, JavaScript and various other web-based development documents.
• Configurable server settings that can be customized for the server port, root directories and much more.

2. Auto Rename Tag

Features:

• This ensures consistency and helps save time while working with markup language.
• It works perfectly with Emmet abbreviations and Snippets.

3. SVG Preview

SVG Preview is a helpful extension for web developers working in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). It allows a live preview of SVG documents directly within the editor. This allows users to view the changes that you make in real time.

Features:

• The preview supports zooming and panning in the preview.
• Perfect for web designers

4. HTML CSS Support

The HTML CSS Support extension provides enhanced CSS support within HTML documents. It gives intelligent suggestions and auto-completion of CSS properties, which ensures speedier and more precise code.

Features:

• Offers intelligent autocompletion for HTML as well as CSS code, which reduces the need to type manually and increasing efficiency.
• Provides CSS Class and ID recommendations Based on the code.
• Creates CSS property suggestions using the prefix of the vendor.
• The system supports Emmet abbreviations that speed up HTML as well as CSS codes generation.

5. IntelliSense for CSS class names

When working with complex CSS class names in HTML the task of remembering and typing them accurately can be challenging. The IntelliSense extension for CSS class names in HTML extension offers smart suggestions as well as auto-completion of CSS class names. It analyses the contents of your CSS files and offers a list of available names for classes, making it easy to pick the appropriate class name without typos or mistakes.

Features:

• Autocompletion that is intelligent and smart for CSS class names within HTML, CSS, SCSS and Less file.
• Increases efficiency by speeding the process of selecting a class name.

6. CSS Peek

CSS Peek is a powerful extension that can enhance CSS development, allowing you to see the related CSS styles directly in HTML and JavaScript code. With a simple mouse hover over an CSS name or ID CSS Peek reveals the corresponding styles in a peek display, eliminating switching between CSS Peek files. CSS Peek is instrumental when working with large codebases or complex CSS dependencies.

Features:

• Supports both external and inline CSS styles.
• Improves understanding of code and Navigation.

7. GitLens

GitLens GitLens HTML0 is a powerful extension that integrates Git capabilities directly into the editor you use. With GitLens it is possible to explore authors of code, examine commit history, and gain valuable insights into code changes by highlighting line-by-line faults.

Features:

• Inline Git annotated with blame for every section of code.
• Details of the commit, such as author, date, and message displayed in hover.
• Code lens and current line annotations showing Git blame and commit information.
• Seamless integration seamlessly with Git commands as well as repository navigation.

5 JavaScript Visual Studio Code Extensions to Boost Productivity

For JavaScript development, having the right tools at your disposal can greatly increase the efficiency as well as the quality of code. These tools can aid you in your work:

1. ESLint

ESLint is a widely adopted tool that can help you identify mistakes, ensure that you adhere to coding guidelines, and increase code quality in JavaScript as well as TypeScript.

Features:

• Instant feedback, and points out the code problems when you write.
• Allows you to alter its rules to meet your project's specific requirements to ensure consistency across your codebase.
• Supports the usage of plugins and custom rules, allowing users to customize it according to your project's unique needs.

2. JavaScript (ES6) code snippets

JavaScript (ES6) Code fragments extension offers a collection of code snippets useful to use which can help you save time and energy when writing JavaScript code.

Features:

• A comprehensive collection of code snippets for common JavaScript tasks, making easy to write code faster.
• Snippets are dynamic placeholders which allow you to quickly fill in variable names and other important information, increasing the efficiency of your code.
• Snippets have been specifically developed to work with ES6 language and functions. This allows users to take advantage of the most recent JavaScript capabilities effortlessly.
• Allows you to alter and design your own code fragments making them fit your style of coding and specifications.

3. Quokka.js

Quokka.js is a live scratchpad designed for JavaScript which provides live feedback in real time and results while you type. This application can dramatically improve the speed of your development workflow.

Features:

• Assesses the quality of your JavaScript code while you type, displaying outcomes immediately within the VS Code editor.
• Provides inline annotations to indicate the output as well as the value of variables. It makes it easier to grasp the behavior of code.
• Provides insight into expressions and allows you to observe the results and effects from each line of code, helping to debug and solve problems.
• It allows you to record numbers and then display them in the editor. It also provides more insight into code execution flow.

4. npm Intellisense

npm Intellisense helps you save time and effort by providing automated auto-completion of npm packages imports. It will suggest names for packages as you type and makes it easy to add dependencies to your project.

Features:

• Accelerates the process of loading dependencies.
• Compatible Works seamlessly JavaScript and TypeScript projects.

5. Import Cost

Import Cost offers real-time feedback about the size of import JavaScript and TypeScript modules. It shows the size of imports directly within the editor, helping in optimizing the size of your bundle and identify performance bottlenecks.

Features:

It supports multiple modules, such as:

• Standard importing: import Func from 'utils';
• Importing the entire content: import * as Utils, derived from "utils"
• Importing selectively: import Func from  the 'utils' directory;
• Selective importing with alias: import orig as alias from  the 'utils' directory;
• Submodule Import: import Func from "utils/Func";
• Require: const Func = require('utils').Func;

5 Python Visual Studio Code Extensions to Boost Productivity

There are many VS Code extensions available for Python which can greatly improve the efficiency of a developer. Here are five popular ones:

1. Python

The Python extension to Visual Studio Code is an important instrument for Python developers. It comes with a broad set of features that streamline Python development, making it simpler to write, debug, and test Python programming.

Features:

• Intelligent code completion, suggestion, and auto-imports to enhance efficiency.
• Supports code formatting using popular Python formatters such as Black and autopep8, ensuring consistency in style of code.
• Real-time analysis of code and gives feedback about potential error, codes, and best practices using instruments like Pylint.
• Enables debugging Python code right inside VS Code, with support for breakpoints, variable inspection, and step-by-step execution.
• It integrates with most well-known Python testing frameworks such as unittest and pytest. This allows you to run and debug tests seamlessly.
• Offers support for managing and activating virtual environment as well as project isolation and the management of dependencies.

2. Pylance

Pylance is a robust extension to the language server for Python in VS Code. It significantly enhances the IntelliSense capabilities, code navigation, and the ability to check for type in Python code.

Features:

• Offers more precise and faster code completion suggestions based on static type analysis and type inference.
• Performs static type checking in order to identify errors caused by typos and increase the quality of code.
• Easy navigation throughout Python code It also allows for symbol searches, definition peeking, and references.
• Shows detailed information and functions signatures to Python objects, improving code understanding and reducing the time to lookup.
• Provides annotations and type hint support to improve code readability and maintaining.
• Pylance is optimized for fast starting and speedy response, ensuring the user with a seamless user experience during development.

3. Jupyter

This Jupyter extensions lets users to use Jupyter notebooks right inside VS Code. It is a seamless interface which combines the strength of Jupyter's interactive computing with the functionality and features offered by VS Code.

Features:

• It offers a notebook editor that includes support for Markdown, code cells, and high-quality text formatting.
• Enables executing code cells within the notebook, and shows its output directly inside the editor.
• It allows for the easy navigation between cells you can reorder them, and add new notebook cells.
• Provides options to start, stop, and switch kernels for different languages, including Python.
• Lets you examine variables as well as their value at various points within the notebook.

4. Django

Features:

• It provides tools for establishing and managing Django applications and projects.
• Provides intelligent code completion to Django-specific syntax, including views, models, forms, and template tags.
• The highlight of the Django template syntax and provides a visual distinction from other elements of code.
• Lets you preview Django template rendering right inside the editor.
• Provides integration with the Django shell, allowing direct communication through the Django development environment.
• Provides code fragments that cover common Django patterns as well as shortcuts for making development faster.

5. Flask Snippets

Flask Snippets is an excellent extension that provides a collection of code snippets to use with using the Flask web framework within VS Code. It makes it easier to start creating Flask code with pre-written snippets of code for the most commonly used Flask routines and shortcuts.

Features:

• It offers a variety of code fragments that are specific to Flask that include route decorators, templates rendering, integration with databases as well as many other.
• Provides shortcuts to frequently-used Flask code patterns, reducing writing manually, and also saving time.
• Allows generating a Flask project skeleton with the basic structure of a directory and essential files to kick-start Flask development.
• Integrates with Flask's command line interface. This allows running specific Flask commands directly within VS Code.
• Increases code completion in specific Flask keywords, functions and objects to improve the efficiency of your code.

4 Additional VS Code Extensions for Enhanced development experience

Alongside the previously mentioned extensions, several other VS Code extensions are worth studying and could greatly enhance your experience in developing with various frameworks and programming languages. We'll look at a few of the extensions available:

1. GitHub Copilot

Features:

• It analyzes the context of your code and provides highly accurate codes, thereby saving time and effort.
• Supports a wide range of programming languages like JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Go, and more.
• Learns about the context in your code and generates suggestions that align with your style of programming and the patterns you use.

2. Tabnine AI Autocomplete

Tabnine AI Autocomplete is an autocompletion tool powered by AI that takes code completion to a whole new dimension. It uses machine learning models trained on massive amounts of code, to offer high-quality and accurate suggestion for code.

Features:

• Provides smart suggestions Based on the code you've created, thereby saving time and effort.
• It predicts the line to follow in code based on your situation, which reduces the necessity of manual typing.
• Supports a wide range of programming languages. This makes it versatile for different tasks.

3. All-in-One Markdown

Markdown All-in-One is an extension that provides a wide range of features that allows you to edit Markdown files in VS Code. It makes it easier to create and editing of Markdown documents by providing an array of functions and shortcuts. From simple formatting to more advanced capabilities, Markdown All in One can improve the writing experience as well as productivity of Markdown users.

Features:

• Syntax highlights and previews of Markdown content
• Shortcuts that are common for Markdown elements and the formatting
• Generation of Table of Contents for simple navigation
• Keyboard shortcuts that allow for effective editing and formatting

4. Regex Previewer

Regex Previewer is an excellent extension for working using regular expressions within VS Code. It enables you to test and debug regular expressions live, ensuring they match the patterns you're looking for precisely. With Regex Previewer, you can save time by rapidly changing and fine-tuning your regular expressions within the editor itself.

Features:

• Real-time preview of regex matches in the editor
• Highlighting games and recording teams
• Interactive debugging and testing of regular expressions
• Support for multiple flavors of regex and other options

Summary

Is there a VS Code extension you use the most? What extension do you think should be included in this piece? Please let us know in the comments.