The Top 23 VS Code Extensions for Programmers. One of the aditonal popular source code editors used by developers is Visual Studio Code, sometimes known as VS Code. Microsoft created and maintains the free, open-source coding editor VS coding. Numerous features, including code completion, syntax highlighting, and version control integration, are included in this code editor. Because it can be used with Linux, macOS, and Windows, it is also a cross-platform code editor.
Top 23 VS Code Extensions For Developers In 2023
In this article, you can know about VS Code Extensions here are the details below;
The greatest VS Code extensions covered in this post might help you work on your software development project more productively.
When you start modifying software or web page source codes on Visual Studio Code, you receive an amazing experience right out of the box. But, as a developer, you may always ask for additional features in this code editor’s near-integrated development environment (IDE).
Your best bet for a variety of VS IDE extensions is the VS Code Marketplace. To discover the best Visual Studio IDE extensions for your online or Windows app development projects, keep reading this post.
The Popularity of Visual Studio Code
WakaTime’s programming statistics show that developers have spent over 21 million hours using the VS Code editor. When comparing the number of hours spent editing code in other programs such as IntelliJ (>3 million hrs) and PhpStorm (>2 million hrs), it was the most popular code editor for 2021.
The majority of developers favor Visual Studio Code above other source code editors for the following reasons:
First. It has cross-platform compatibility, is open-source, and is totally free. This implies that it is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.
# 2. A debugger is built right into the editor. As a result, you will click less. Additionally, you can monitor both the debugger and your coding project in a single window without having to move between apps.
# 3. Predictive coding, or IntelliSense, is a feature that VS Code has out of the box.
# 4. The appropriate shortcut keys, VS Code extensions, and settings enable you to effortlessly transform the VS Code application into a full-stack workstation.
What are visual studio IDE Extensions
Version control, debugging, task running, and other software and app development processes are supported by the incredibly well-organized source code editor VS Code.
For the majority of programming languages, it offers developers a productive environment that makes the code-build-debug cycle simple. But for complicated workflows, you’ll need an IDE like Visual Studio.
Developers have created VS Code extensions to get around the issues. To access new functionalities in the VS Code app, install extensions, which are essentially add-ons. The primary benefits of VS IDE extensions are increased productivity and faultless, easy coding.
Why are IDE Extensions Useful?
VS Code extensions are primarily used to improve the tool’s usability for different software and app development projects. Should the project require any particular feature that VS Code does not offer, you can look for an extension in the marketplace.
Additionally, extensions enable you to boost your team’s productivity when developing apps. When coding, you can reduce the likelihood of making mistakes by using code completion extensions.
Furthermore, you can import repos for DevOps projects from package hosting sites with the aid of sophisticated extensions package installers. In short, extensions enable you to transform Visual Studio Code into an IDE that offers full services.
Now let’s examine a few of the top VS code editors.
1. Live Server
With more than 30.9 million downloads, Live Server is one of the most popular VS Code plugins. To borrow from its name, Live Server lets you see the changes to your code as you write it by setting up a local server on your computer.
You may view the changes in real-time with Live Server’s automated code editing procedure, which eliminates the need for you to constantly reload your browser.
Key Features
- Cross-browser testing: LiveServer works with Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome.
- Selective change tracking: On LiveServer, you can choose which files to monitor.
- Adaptable to any technology delivered over HTTP: LiveServer works with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JavaScript frameworks, including React, Angular, and Vue.
By searching for “live server” in the marketplace, you can install the extension. Picking the extension with the most downloads and ratings is the best choice, though, as there are other extensions with the same name.
2. Rest Client
Software developers can send and receive HTTP requests and responses in the code editor with this VS Code addon. More than 3.1 million people have downloaded the most well-known REST Client addon on the market.
Key Features
- Support for a variety of authentication methods: REST Client is compatible with AWS Signature v4, Azure Active Directory, Digest Auth, and Basic Auth.
- Supports MULTIPLE requests for the single file: You can compose distinct HTTP requests on the same file by using the ### delimiter.
- Cookie memory: REST Client saves cookies to facilitate the execution of recurrent requests.
- Support system variables: With the help of this extension, developers can employ variables in the body, headers, and URLs.
Since REST Client does not depend on any particular language, developers can utilize it with any language that can handle HTTP requests.
3. Image Optimizer
Images and other visual components improve the presentation of a website. Developers can utilize a variety of tools provided by Image Optimizer to optimize JPEG, PNG, and GIF files.
This extension can compress an image both losslessly, which preserves all of the original data, and lossily, which reduces some of the original data.
Key Features
- Batch Image Optimization: You have the option of choosing a whole folder or just a selection of your photos to be optimized in a batch.
- Configurable Settings: You can choose how much compression is applied to your photos with Image Optimizer.
- Provides Image Preview: Prior to accepting the edits, you can view a preview of any image you have.
- Integrates with Build Process: Before sending any images to production, you can optimize them all by integrating this addon with the build process.
Image Optimizer is not language specific and can be used on any project that involves photos.
4. GitHub Extension
The most popular platform for managing, tracking, collaborating, and storing code is GitHub. Developers may communicate with others, manage code, and keep track of changes with the GitHub Extension.
Key Features
Simple GitHub connection: There is a button in the Team Explorer area that lets you establish a GitHub connection. Furthermore supported by the extension is two-factor authentication (2FA).
GitHub Explorer: Using this tree, you may access and control every repository on your GitHub account.
Pull Request Management: This extension allows developers to browse, generate, and manage pull requests.
Code Review: This plugin allows you to compare different file versions, examine the history of changes made to the code, and leave comments.
Issue Management: Using the GitHub plugin, developers may view and manage issues.
The Visual Studio GitHub Extension is limited to versions of Visual Studio 15 and higher.
5. PostSharp
With the help of the extension PostSharp, developers can produce code that is clearer and shorter. The most popular features are the extensions. You can automate your own patterns by using NET’s pre-made patterns.
Key Features
- Aspect-oriented programming: This addon helps you validate your code at build time by utilizing the System.Reflection API.
- PostSharp Logging: With PostSharp, developers may incorporate comprehensive and adaptable logging into their applications.
- PostSharp Caching: allows developers to add caching to existing functions by integrating with Redis and MemoryCache.
- With the PostSharp Threading extension, programmers may handle multithreading at the appropriate levels of abstraction. As a result, developers can identify and fix deadlocks and reduce complexity brought on by threading.
PostSharp is a for-profit product; the PostSharp Essentials edition is available for free.
6. Visual Assist
A productivity tool called Visual Assist has a number of capabilities that help with coding assistance, refactoring, navigation, and code generation. Although it was primarily made for the C/C++ and C# languages, the extension also partially supported Python, JavaScript, and Visual Basic.
Key Features
- Code generation: To produce code, use commands like Add Missing Case Statements, Implement Interface/Virtual Methods, and Create from Usage.
- Refactoring code is possible with commands like Introduce Variable, Change Signature, Encapsulate Field, and Rename.
- Simple navigation: To access files in your project, use commands like Open File in Solution and Find Symbol in Solution.
There is a 30-day free trial period for Visual Assist, a premium tool. Certain features become inaccessible after the trial time expires unless you purchase a license, which starts at $249 per user.
7. CodeMaid
An addon called CodeMaid makes writing code easier and cleaner. Numerous languages, including JavaScript, HTML, CSS, TypeScript, PHP, C, C++, C#, and JSON, are supported.
Key Features
- Code cleaning: CodeMaid assists you in eliminating unnecessary white spaces and lines of code from your code by using statements.
- Code reorganization: You can use this extension to rearrange your code according to Microsoft’s StyleCop convention or your own preferences.
- Code digging: To facilitate the visualization and navigation of your code, this addon offers a tree view hierarchy.
Developers can use this tool to format their code comments so that they are easier to understand.
Right now, CodeMaid is open-source and supports Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2022.
8. GitLens
An extension called GitLens can aid in your understanding of code. It allows you to find out why and when a line or block of code was altered.
Key Features
- Extensive code history: GitLens provides a detailed account of the evolution of code.
- Includes Code Lens, a tool that makes your code more legible and managed by adding details to it like test status, symbols, and references.
- Features Blame Annotations: GitLens’ Blame Annotations allow you to determine who last committed and modified the codebase.
- Repository Navigation: Using the code editor, you can move between branches and browse your repositories.
Despite having certain features that are only accessible with a license, GitLens is a free program. Any Git repository, regardless of the programming language being used, can be supported by this plugin.
9. Giflens
With the help of the addonGiflens, users can easily explore, visualize, and navigate GIF resources. Hovering over GIFLENS tags allows users to see them.
Key Features
GIF preview: Giflens lets you view GIFs directly from the VS Code, saving you the trouble of opening another program.
Pace control: The code editor allows you to adjust the pace at which GIFs play.
Support for multiple GIFs: This extension lets you open multiple GIFs at once, so you can compare them.
Any code file containing animated GIFs can be utilized using the free extension Giflens.
10. Docker
The VS Code addonDocker facilitates the development, administration, and deployment of containerized applications. Engineers can interact with Docker containers, images, and registries directly from the code editor thanks to the incredible features of this addon. This is another VS Code Extensions. Also check Disney Plus Error Code 14
Key Features
- Permits editing of Docker files: When editing Docker files and docker-compose.yml files, you can benefit from IntelliSense’s syntax assistance and code completions.
- Docker explorer: This addon allows you to manage and inspect every type of Docker asset, including volumes, networks, containers, images, and container registries.
- Strong Docker commands: From the command palette, you can control volumes, networks, images, image registries, and Docker Compose.
- Docker Compose: The Compose Language Service supports tab completions and IntelliSense when dealing with docker-compose.yml files.
Docker is free & open-source. Docker extension suits web development & server-side applications and fits most programming languages.
11. VsVim
VsVim is an addition that targets people with Vim experience as adds Vim emulation to VS Code (Vim is a command line text editor that is highly popular among system administrators and software engineers)
Key Features
- Vim Emulation: Developers can perform their favorite Vim commands on VS Code using this addon.
- Multiple Cursors: Using this functionality, you can make the same modification in several locations/ files.
- Highly customizable: Developers can deactivate particular Vim commands with this addon.
- Supports Visual Mode: Developers can handle and choose text similarly to Vim.
VsVim is free, not language specific, & designed to function with different VS Code files.
12. Settings Sync
Settings Sync is a plugin that allows users to synchronize settings, extensions, themes, workspaces, snippets, &keybindings across different machines using GitHub Gist.
Key Features
- Offers cloud storage: You can keep all your settings and synchronizations on the cloud & retrieve them whenever the need arises.
- Automatic synchronization: Changes are sent across other machines automatically.
- Integrates with GitHub: You may store all your settings on a public or the private repository on GitHub.
13. Remote – SSH
Remote – SSH add-on for VS Code allows you utilize any remote PC with an SSH server as your IDE. It will substantially increase troubleshooting and development in many situations.
Key Features
- Develop apps & software on a sophisticated remote workstation by the accessing it from your local computer.
- Swap instantly between various development environments of without impacting local computer’s performance.
- Collaborate on existing IDE from multiple remote machines.
The best part is do not need to the deploy any source code on the local workstation. The add-on runs commands & other VS IDE extensions & instantly on the remote computer. Also check Error Code 10004
14. Prettier
If you want to execute a common style guide across all the development tasks in your team, you must try out the More stunning add-on for VS Code.
Key Features
- Opinionated code formatting extension
- Blends with many code editors
- Style discussions become hopeless when you use this tool
- It saves you energy and time
Occasionally, as a developer, you may need to work on an inconsistent codebase. You can easily clean and reformat an current codebase using this wing on VS Code. This is another VS Code Extensions.
15. npm
If you operate on JavaScript projects, you must try npm as the packet manager. Now, when you ought to shift your position to VS Code editor, you can accomplish that because the npm attachment lets you want the npm supportability on VS Code editor like additional IDEs.
This is a Microsoft-developed VS Code attachment that has recorded better than 5 million installations.
16. Project Manager
If you are a software development scheme manager & manage multiple DevOps assignments on VS Code, you should try out Project Manager. The instrument enables you to access all the tasks from one computer, no matter where the projects are available.
There are requirements to define projects so that you can easily organize them.
Key Features
- Save folders or workspaces as assignments
- Tag your projects for advanced organization
- Open all tasks in the new or same window
- Easily discover renamed or deleted projects
Also, the extension has witnessed almost 2 million installations.
17. SonarLint
SonarLint is an open source Visual Studio extension that allows you to repair coding bugs before they arise. The add-on displays safety risks & flaws while you create the code in Visual Studio. Its UI is basic and operates much like a spell-checking software in any text editor.
Furthermore, the program gives you with explicit resolution suggestions. Thus, you can fix the legend before the workflow saves to the program. Moreover, the plugin of VS Code supports multiple programming language examinations including C++, C, Java, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python.
18. Stylelint
Are you trying to find an automatic program that will highlight in VS Code any flaws, stylistic mistakes, coding errors, or other dubious constructs? Try out Stylelint, a simple-to-install VS Code linter addon.
In addition to flagging, it makes your development team follow pre-approved code stylistic guidelines so that your software or app code is free of clutter.
Key Features
- Support for creating customized rules via plugins
- It offers more than 170 built-in rules for contemporary CSS features and syntaxes.
- Sometimes, when it recognizes a pattern, it automatically resolves code problems.
The add-on has 700K installs according to VS Marketplace.
19. CSS Peek
Do you want to be able to view the properties associated with an id or class without having to flip over to your.css file? You could give the VS Code add-on CSS Peek a try. It enables you to see the CSS code’s hover image from the HTML file. This is another VS Code Extensions.
Additionally, the plugin creates hyperlinks from IDs and class names. This means that you may quickly access the ID definition and class of your CSS when you click on these hyperlinks.
There have been over three million installations of this add-on. The tool is free to install in Visual Studio Code.
20. Polacode
With the help of the VS Code add-on Polacode, you can quickly produce stunning screenshots of your program or app code. You can then share your code with friends, clients, or coworkers by using the final component.
The nicest thing is that all of the current code fonts and VS Code themes are retained. The add-on merely arranges the code in a tidy, expert-looking layout.
A dragging function to resize the container or code snippet is included with the extension. All you have to do is grab and move the lower right corner. Additional instructions that manipulate the appearance of images are polacode.shadow, polacode.target, polacode.backgroundColor, and so forth.
21. Import Cost
Using the VS Code add-on Import Cost, you may see the file size of a third-party library that you have imported. As soon as you load the library into the VS Code editor, the import cost value is displayed.
As you type the code, the library size will be displayed inline. It makes use of a webpack to display the size of the imported library file.
Key Features
- The library size for the full import of content
- View size for importing by default
- Programming languages JavaScript and Typescript compatible.
The add-on has been installed over a million times.
22. Path Intellisense
Managing several files is a common requirement when working on an app or software development project. You have to input the file name exactly as it comes to mind when writing code.
Now that the file names have hyphens in them, it gets harder to recall them. You can get instant assistance from Path Intellisense here.
It’s an extension that makes file names in a codebase autocomplete. When the gadget recognizes the first few letters, it immediately proposes the file you are looking for. You can also use it to reveal files that are hidden.
23. JavaScript Debugger
It is a JavaScript debugger based on the debug adapter protocol (DAP). You can debug VS Code add-ons, WebView2, Node.js, Chrome, and many more programs using this tool. JavaScript Debugger has been the bankruptcy debug add-on for Visual Studio Code since version 1.46. Additionally, Microsoft is releasing the utility for the Visual Studio IDE piecemeal. This is another VS Code Extensions.
Microsoft has released this VS Code addon as an open-source utility. It can be used for non-commercial or commercial development without restriction. Thus far, the tool has been installed over 600K times.
Last Words
So far, you have learned about a few of the top Visual Studio Code extensions that you just must have if you enjoy working with Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Within the community of open-source code editors, it is a well-known brand. You can install any of the aforementioned Visual Studio IDE extensions, depending on the needs of your project.
You can save time by using this comprehensive list of the top VS IDE extensions instead of spending it looking for these tools. Now that you are aware of the best extensions, you can commit more time to your project.
Also, you may check out a few of the top IDEs that every programmers ought to be aware of.