Alright fellow code warriors, buckle up! Whether you're a front-end fanatic or a back-end boss, Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is probably your home base. But let's be real, VS Code without extensions is like pizza without toppings. 🍕 Meh.
So grab your coffee ☕ (or energy drink 🧃), sit back, and let me introduce you to 20 VS Code extensions that will make your coding life easier, faster, and honestly, way more fun.
Trust me, you'll want these in your arsenal. Let's jump right in! 🏄♂️
1. Live Server 🌍
Sick of refreshing your browser every 10 seconds? Live Server automatically reloads your page every time you save a file. You're basically a web wizard with this one. 🧙♂️
Why You'll Love It:
- 🔄 Live reload for HTML/CSS/JavaScript files.
- 👆 Zero refresh key presses. Your fingers will thank you.
2. Prettier 🎨
Tired of fighting with your code formatting like you're in a UFC match? Prettier is your tag-team partner, it keeps your code neat and tidy with no effort. 🥊
Why You'll Love It:
- ✨ Auto-formats your code on save.
- 👊 Kicks sloppy code's butt.
3. ESLint 🤓
JavaScript can be a wild west 🏜 sometimes. ESLint is the sheriff, keeping law and order in your code by flagging errors and enforcing good practices.
🔗 ESLint
Why You'll Love It:
- 🧹 Keeps your JavaScript clean.
- ⚡ Flags errors faster than you can say, "Where's that semicolon?"
4. Better Comments 📝
Let's face it, comments can be boring... but not with Better Comments! This extension spices up your comments with colors, so you can make TODOs, warnings, or highlight important stuff in your code more... well, visible.
Why You'll Love It:
- 🎨 Color-coded comments.
- 💥 Make your code notes pop!
5. Indent-Rainbow 🌈
If you've ever lost track of which level of indentation you're in (seriously, Python, why are you like this?), Indent-Rainbow comes to the rescue by coloring each indentation level.
Why You'll Love It:
- 🌈 Colors everywhere!
- 🕵️♀️ Avoids the dreaded "where does this block even end?"
6. Material Icon Theme 🎨
Your VS Code sidebar is more confusing than a maze? 😵 Material Icon Theme gives it a beautiful, organized facelift with icons that actually make sense.
Why You'll Love It:
- 🖼️ Custom icons for every file type.
- 👔 Feels like organizing your messy code closet into a designer wardrobe.
7. Path Intellisense 🧠
Manually typing out file paths is so 2005. Path Intellisense autocompletes your file paths, so you don't have to remember if that "styles.css" file was in src, public, or assets. 🔥
Why You'll Love It:
- 🚀 Faster imports and file referencing.
- 🎯 No more typo-prone file paths.
8. Auto Rename Tag 🔄
Have you ever renamed an opening HTML tag and forgot to change the closing tag? I feel your pain. Auto Rename Tag does it for you! 🙌
Why You'll Love It:
- 🔗 Keeps your HTML in sync.
- ⏱️ Because nobody has time to manually change both tags.
9. Peacock 🦚
Working on multiple projects? Keep them organized with Peacock, which changes the color of your VS Code workspace so you can quickly see which project you're working on (and keep that mental breakdown at bay). 😅
🔗 Peacock
Why You'll Love It:
- 🎨 Different colors for different projects.
- 😎 Looks stylish, too!
10. Rainbow Brackets 2 🎯
If you write JavaScript (or any other code with a million brackets), Rainbow Brackets 2 will help you keep track of them by coloring matching pairs. No more getting lost in a sea of parentheses and curly braces. 🙃
Why You'll Love It:
- 🌈 Pairs brackets with matching colors.
- 😌 Reduces "where does this bracket even close?" moments.
11. HTML Boilerplate 🏗
Starting an HTML project and hate typing out the basic structure every time? HTML Boilerplate has you covered with a fully-formed HTML5 template ready to go.
Why You'll Love It:
- 🚀 Speeds up your HTML setup.
- 🧠 Saves time and brain cells.
12. Thunder Client ⚡️
Who needs Postman when you've got Thunder Client right inside VS Code? Test APIs without ever leaving your editor. 🕶
Why You'll Love It:
- 🪶 Lightweight, fast API testing.
- 🔰 Easy to use, even for a first-timer.
13. GitLens 🔍
GitLens supercharges your Git experience, letting you see who made changes to a line of code, when they did it, and even why. Spy on your own commit history like a boss! 🕵️♂️
🔗 GitLens
Why You'll Love It:
- 🕰️ Deep dive into your code's history.
- 🧙♂️ Become a Git master without even trying.
14. CSS Peek 🔍
Ever wonder where a specific CSS class is defined? CSS Peek lets you hover over an HTML class or ID and jump right to the corresponding CSS definition. Like magic. 🎩✨
🔗 CSS Peek
Why You'll Love It:
- 🚫 No more switching between files!
- 🐞 CSS debugging just got a whole lot easier.
15. Cobalt Next Theme 🎨
Let's face it, dark mode isn't just cool—it's a lifestyle. Cobalt Next gives you a sleek, clean theme that's easy on the eyes and makes your code look gorgeous. 😎
Why You'll Love It:
- 🌙 Beautiful, dark theme.
- 💅 Because your editor deserves to look as good as your code.
16. Cody 🧠
Meet Cody, your AI-powered buddy that can help you write code, explain tricky snippets, and even help you debug. You know how Tony Stark has JARVIS? Well, this is the coding version. 🦸♂️
🔗 Cody
Why You'll Love It:
- 🤖 AI that writes and fixes code alongside you.
- 👯♂️ It's like having a coding buddy who's always right.
17. Debugger for Chrome 🐞
This extension allows you to debug JavaScript code running in Google Chrome, without leaving VS Code. Handy, right?
Why You'll Love It:
- 🦸♂️ Debugging without switching windows.
- 🦇 It's like being Batman, but for code.
18. SVG 🖼
Working with SVG files but tired of switching windows just to view them? The SVG extension gives you in-editor previews, so you can see your vector images without the hassle.
🔗 SVG
Why You'll Love It:
- 🖼️ Live preview of SVG files directly in VS Code.
- 👁️ No need for external tools to view or edit your vectors.
19. Todo Tree 🌳
If you leave TODOs all over your code (who doesn't? 🙃), Todo Tree will gather them into one tree view, so you never forget to come back and fix that hacky solution.
Why You'll Love It:
- 📊 Organizes your messy TODOs.
- ✅ Now you'll actually come back to that code.
20. REST Client 🌐
Want to send HTTP requests but don't want to leave VS Code? The REST Client extension lets you test APIs directly from your editor, like an API magician. 🎩✨
Why You'll Love It:
- 🧪 Test your APIs directly in VS Code.
- 👨💻 Super convenient for backend devs.
Wrapping it Up 🎁
Well, there you have it! 🎉 These 20 VS Code extensions are must-haves for every web developer who wants to save time, boost productivity, and have a bit of fun while doing it.
Now go forth, install all the things, and watch your coding experience level up faster than you can say "merge conflicts."
Happy coding! 💻😎
Thanks for reading!
Made with 💙 by Hadil Ben Abdallah.
Top comments (3)
Good tips. Thanks. However,
Bracket Pair Colorizer 2is deprecated.Yeah, you're right, sorry about that. There is
Rainbow Brackets 2instead ofBracket Pair Colorizer 2. I will correct it in the article.Debugger for Chrome has been deprecated for years and years. It was actually written by the Microsoft Edge Team, so using marketplace.visualstudio.com/items... is the better option