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GrokTL;DR: Visual Studio Code extensions supercharge your development workflow. This guide highlights 20 essential extensions for web development, including tools for debugging, code formatting, live previews, and collaboration. Learn how to install and manage them easily via the VS Code Marketplace or CLI.
Visual Studio Code is a source code editor for building modern web applications. It is a free and open-source editor. It supports a number of extensions that can be used for web application development.
In this blog, we are going to talk about 20 of these extensions that are used in developing a web application:
- AI Extensions:
- GitHub Copilot
- Debugging and testing:
- Quokka.js
- Rest Client
- Frontend Development:
- Live Sever
- Live Sass Compiler
- HTML CSS Support
- Productivity and snippets:
- JavaScript (ES6) Code Snippets
- Path IntelliSense
- Better Comments
- Code quality and formatting:
-
- Prettier – Code Formatter
- ESLint
- Code Spell Checker
- SonarLint
- Collaboration and version control:
- Live Share
- GitLens
- .NET development:
- C#
- C# Dev Kit
- Deployment:
- Docker
- Remote development
- Advaned:
- Polacode (screenshots)
Before exploring the extensions, let’s first look at how they can be installed.
Installing Extensions in VS Code
There are three ways to install extensions in VS Code. Choose the one that best fits your requirements:
1. The easy way: VS Code Marketplace
- Press Ctrl+Shift+X (or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac).
- Search the extension name (such as “Prettier”).
- Click Install.
- Reload if it asks (usually it does).
2. The command-line way
If you’re using CLI, run the following command:
code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
3. Managing multiple extensions
Refer to the following command.
code --list-extensions #See what you've got installed
code --install-extension #Install by ID
code --uninstall-extension #Remove one
Now that you know how to install extensions, let’s explore each of these tools and how they can supercharge your web development experience.
1. AI Extensions
GitHub Copilot
This is the extension needed for modern web development. It is an AI pair-programming tool that helps you write code faster and smarter with inline completions and an integrated chat experience.
When you install Copilot in Visual Studio Code, you get two extensions:
- GitHub Copilot: Provides inline coding suggestions as you type.
- GitHub Copilot Chat: A companion extension that provides conversational AI assistance.
Note: For more details, refer to the GitHub Copilot VS Code extension.
2. Debugging and testing
Quokka.js
This extension is used for testing JavaScript code in the Visual Studio Code editor itself instead of checking it out in the browser console.
Note: For more details, refer to the Quokka VS Code extension.
REST Client
The extension allows you to send HTTP requests and view the response in Visual Studio Code directly.
Note: For more details, refer to the Rest Client VS Code extension.
3. Frontend Development
Live Sass Compiler
This VS Code extension is used for compiling SCSS files to CSS files quickly compared to the other compilers like Visual Studio extensions. This is handy for web developers while developing webpages with SCSS files.
Note: For more details, refer to the Live Sass Compiler VS Code extension.
HTML CSS Support
This extension provides autocompletion and suggestions for HTML and CSS code directly within the editor, which can significantly speed up coding and reduce errors. It offers features like class and ID attribute autocompletion, quick navigation to CSS definitions, and inline style support.
Note: For more details, refer to the HTML CSS Support VS Code extension.
4. Productivity and snippets
JavaScript (ES6) Code snippets
This extension is used for setting shortcut triggers for JavaScript code that can be used to invoke a full code instead of typing out code on each instance. This will be useful while working on projects with a large amount of codes.
Note: For more details, refer to the JavaScript (ES6) Code Snippets VS Code extension.
Path IntelliSense
This extension is used for showing tips for the file paths of a project. This will come in handy while working on a project that has a large number of files in it.
Note: For more details, refer to the Path IntelliSense VS Code extension.
Better Comments
This extension is used for differentiating comment types like warnings, errors, highlights, and queries to improve the readability and understandability of the code.
Note: For more details, refer to the Better Comments VS Code extension.
5. Code quality and formatting
Prettier – Code Formatter
The extension is a standard code formatter. It enforces a consistent style by parsing your code and re-printing it with its own rules that take the maximum line length into account, wrapping code when necessary.
Note: For more details, refer to the Prettier – Code formatter VS Code extension.
ESLint
This extension is used for analyzing your JavaScript code and fixing the errors in them. You can install and edit your JS code to fix the errors pointed out.
Note: For more details, refer to the ESLint VS Code extension.
Code Spell Checker
This extension checks your code for spelling errors, ensuring that variable names, comments, and documentation are correctly spelled. It’s especially useful in larger codebases to enhance code readability and maintain professionalism in your projects. By highlighting and suggesting corrections for spelling mistakes, it assists developers in creating well-documented and easily understandable code, promoting better code quality and collaboration.
Note: For more details, refer to the Code Spell Checker VS Code extension.
SonarQube for IDE
The extension used for On-the-fly static analysis that flags bugs, vulnerabilities, and code smells in popular languages with detailed guidance.
Note: For more details, refer to the SonarQube for IDE VS Code extension.
Error Lens
The extension supports language diagnostic features by making diagnostics stand out more prominently. It highlights lines containing diagnostics and append diagnostic as text to the end of the line, and show message in status bar.
Note: For more details, refer to the Error Lens VS Code extension.
6. Collaboration and version control
Live Share
This extension enables real-time collaboration among developers. You can share your code with colleagues, allowing them to view, edit, and debug your code directly within their own Visual Studio Code environment. It’s a valuable tool for teams looking to enhance productivity and streamline the development process by enabling seamless code collaboration.
Note: For more details, refer to the Live Share VS Code extension.
GitLens
This extension is used for getting information from a Git source that can be edited in the VS environment. Commit logs, file history, and more from the Git repository files can be viewed inside the VS code itself, and that saves time, too.
Note: For more details, refer to the GitLens VS Code extension.
7. .NET Development
C# and C# Dev Kit
The Microsoft split C# functionality:
- C#
- C# Dev Kit
C# Extension:
The Visual Studio Code extension provides core C# language support. This extension integrates with open-source components like Roslyn and Razor to provide rich type information and a faster, more reliable C# experience.
- IntelliSense and code completion.
- Go to definition.
- Find all references.
- Quick information on hover.
- Code formatting.
Note: For more details, refer to the C# VS Code extension.
C# Dev Kit:
The C# Dev Kit extension helps you to enhances C# development with Solution Explorer, integrated unit test execution, and advanced debugging. It elevates C# development experience wherever like to develop (Windows, macOS, Linux, and even in a Codespace).
- Solution Explorer.
- Unit testing support.
- Advanced debugging.
- Recommended for larger projects.
Note: For more information, refer to the C# Dev Kit VS Code extension.
8. Deployment
Docker
This is an essential tool for developers working with containerized apps. It streamlines the Docker container management process directly within the VS Code environment. This extension provides features like creating, managing, and debugging Docker containers and images. It also offers support for Docker Compose, making it simple to define and run multi-container apps.
Note: For more details, refer to the Docker VS Code extension.
Remote development
The remote development extension allows you to open any folder in a container, on a remote machine, or in WSL while leveraging the full VS Code feature set.
Note: For more details, refer to the Remote development VS Code extension.
9. Advanced
Polacode (screenshots)
This extension is used for creating beautiful code snippet screenshots directly from your editor for documentation or social sharing.
Note: For more details, refer to the Polacode VS Code extension.
Special Mention: Syncfusion® Extensions
Syncfusion provides various extensions for Visual Studio Code such as Blazor, .NET MAUI, Document Viewer, and more, to boost your productivity.
Available for free download on the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.
Conclusion
I hope you’re eager to use these 20 amazing VS Code Extensions to develop your web application.
For web developers, Syncfusion offers a wide range of high-performance, lightweight, modular, and responsive UI components such as Blazor, ASP.NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, Angular, React, and Vue platforms. Try these components to speed up your application development.
For current customers, the latest version of our controls is available on the Syncfusion license and downloads page. If you are not yet a customer, you can try our 30-day free trial.
If you wish to send us feedback or would like to submit any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments section below. You can also contact us through our support forum, support portal, or feedback portal. We are always happy to assist you!