Visual Studio Code Extensions You NEED!

Take your coding to the next level with these extensions!

Imaad Uddin
4 min readSep 5, 2023
Photo by James Harrison on Unsplash

As a developer, you are always looking for ways to improve your workflow and increase your productivity. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular code editor that offers a wide range of features and extensions to help you take your coding to the next level. In this article, we will explore some of the best VS Code extensions that you can use to boost your productivity and improve your coding experience.

1. Bracket Pair Colorizer

The Bracket Pair Colorizer extension is one of the most popular extensions for VS Code. It provides an easy way to visually distinguish between matching pairs of brackets, parentheses, and braces. This extension assigns a unique color to each pair, making it easy to spot mismatches and identify code blocks. It is perfect for developers working with large and complex codebases.

2. GitLens

Git is an essential tool for version control, and if you are working with Git repositories, the GitLens extension is a must-have. This extension adds powerful Git capabilities to VS Code, including inline blame annotations, code lens, and commit searching. With GitLens, you can quickly view who made changes to a file, when they made them, and why. You can also see the changes made in each commit and compare different versions of your code.

3. Quokka.js

Quokka.js is a live scratchpad for JavaScript that lets you experiment with your code as you type. This extension provides real-time feedback on your code, displaying the results of your expressions and statements as you type them. With Quokka.js, you can debug your code faster, catch errors earlier, and explore new ideas without the hassle of setting up a separate development environment. It is perfect for developers who want to prototype and test their code before committing it.

4. Prettier

Prettier is a code formatter that automatically formats your code to ensure it meets a consistent style. This extension supports a wide range of programming languages and can be customized to fit your preferred style. With Prettier, you can save time and avoid common formatting errors, allowing you to focus on writing code. It is perfect for developers who want to maintain a consistent code style across their projects.

5. Live Server

Live Server is a simple, lightweight extension that allows you to launch a local development server with live reload capability. This extension is perfect for web developers who need to test their code in a browser. With Live Server, you can make changes to your code and see the changes reflected in real-time, without having to manually refresh the page. It is perfect for developers who want to see how their code looks and behaves in real-time.

6. IntelliSense

IntelliSense is a powerful code completion tool that helps you write code faster and with fewer errors. This extension provides intelligent suggestions for code completion, function definitions, and variable types, based on your code and the libraries you are using. With IntelliSense, you can write code more efficiently and accurately, saving you valuable time and effort. It is perfect for developers who want to write code faster and with fewer errors.

7. Code Runner

Code Runner is a simple extension that allows you to run code snippets or entire files directly from the VS Code editor. This extension supports a wide range of programming languages and can be customized to fit your preferred execution environment. With Code Runner, you can quickly test and debug your code without having to switch between multiple applications or environments. It is perfect for developers who want to quickly test their code without leaving their editor.

8. ESLint

ESLint is a popular open-source linting utility for JavaScript that helps you identify and fix common errors and issues in your code. This extension integrates ESLint directly into the VS Code editor, providing real-time feedback on your code and highlighting potential issues as you type. With ESLint, you can write cleaner, more efficient code that is free of common errors and issues. It is perfect for developers who want to write high-quality code.

9. Debugger for Chrome

Debugger for Chrome is a powerful extension that allows you to debug your JavaScript code directly in the Chrome browser. This extension provides real-time debugging capabilities, including breakpoints, step-by-step debugging, and variable inspection. With Debugger for Chrome, you can quickly identify and fix issues in your JavaScript code without having to switch between multiple applications or environments. It is perfect for developers who want to debug their code in real-time.

Visual Studio Code is a powerful code editor that offers a wide range of features and extensions to help you take your coding to the next level. By installing the right extensions, you can boost your productivity, improve your workflow, and make coding more enjoyable. The extensions we have explored in this article are just a few of the many available for VS Code, so be sure to explore the marketplace and find the ones that work best for you. With these extensions, you can take your coding to the next level and become a more efficient, effective developer.

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Imaad Uddin

Tech, Finance & Software Engineering || Connect With Me Here 👉🏽 https://solo.to/imaaduddin