5 Must-Have Extensions for Visual Studio Code

[eduaardofranco]

For many developers, Visual Studio Code is the go-to solution for code editing. The tool's popularity can be attributed to its cost (free) and the extensive range of features it offers. Moreover, as the program's popularity grows, so does its community, providing ease in finding information, discussing issues, and seeking support. Simultaneously, other developers and companies contribute to the tool's evolution by creating a utility ecosystem that expands its functionality.

In this way, VS Code becomes a Swiss Army knife for various scenarios, with a vast array of extensions. Distinguishing between essential and non-essential is crucial, and each team, each need, will likely find a specific plugin to streamline its workflow. Nonetheless, there are several extensions that can be considered indispensable for virtually all developers. You might already be using some of them in your Visual Studio Code, but we've compiled ten options that we consider essential for those working with this code editor.

1) GitHub Copilot

• Description:
  • GitHub Copilot needs no introduction at this point. If you're not already using it in Visual Studio Code, it's essential to know that the extension assists developers with quick and contextually appropriate code suggestions, freeing them from constantly searching documentation or seeking answers on StackOverflow. GitHub Copilot provides suggestions to complete your code based on the context of what you're typing and/or code comments. With all these advantages, the tool can help reduce developers' cognitive load and save time when writing code.
• (Download on Marketplace)

2) Peacock

• Description:
  • Peacock is one of the best extensions for those who want to customize their visual experience in VS Code to the fullest. This extension allows you to change workspace colors. More than just a customization option, this feature is quite useful when working with multiple instances of VS Code and wanting to immediately identify the instance you're currently working with. With Peacock, you can determine a distinct color for scenarios where remote integration features are used or when a Live Share session is ongoing, either as a guest or host.
• (Download on Marketplace)

3) vscode-icons

• Description:
  • vscode-icons lets you create descriptive icons to easily categorize files and folders within Visual Studio Code. This functionality helps make the code more visually appealing, facilitating collaborative work and information retention. The extension allows you to change the appearance of icons or even which icons are associated with each extension. vscode-icons can also automatically determine the type of project active in the developer's workspace and switch icons accordingly. In addition to its own icon library, the extension allows users to import any icons they desire into the tool.
• (Download on Marketplace)

4) Swimm

• Description:
  • Swimm is an extension that follows the principle of Continuous Documentation. This means the plugin offers an easy way to write documentation attached to the code that references live code snippets directly. With the unique Auto-sync feature, Swimm keeps these documents automatically updated as the code they refer to changes, preventing any lack of synchronization between the code and its documentation. Thus, it's possible to create internal documentation to meet any developer's needs—tutorials, instruction guides, design documents, technical references, and much more.
• (Download on Marketplace)

5) Prettier

• Description:
  • Prettier is a powerful, free formatting tool that "prettifies" the way your code is displayed, following a consistent style with its own rules. It supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Flow, JSX, JSON, CSS (including SCSS and Less), HTML, Vue, Angular, GraphQL, YAML, and more. If your preferred language is not natively covered by the extension, you can install plugins that also enable support for Ruby, XML, PHP, and others. Despite bringing its own rules, tested in thousands of scenarios in its long community journey, Prettier also allows the user to customize its internal rules according to their preferences from an editable configuration file.
• (Download on Marketplace)

Feel free to explore and incorporate these extensions into your Visual Studio Code setup to enhance your development experience.

[eduaardofranco]

I use all of them

[eduaardofranco]

good ones