vscode

name	vscode
description	Visual Studio Code editor with extensions and debugging. Use for code editing.

Visual Studio Code

VS Code is the industry standard editor. In 2025, it has evolved into an AI-First editor with a native AI Companion and generic Agent Mode.

When to Use

• Everyday Coding: TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust. It wins almost everywhere.
• Remote Dev: Remote - SSH and Dev Containers are best-in-class.
• AI-Assisted: GitHub Copilot integration is deepest here.

Quick Start

// .vscode/settings.json
{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
  "files.autoSave": "onFocusChange"
}

Core Concepts

Extensions

The ecosystem is the key. 50k+ extensions.

• Python (Microsoft)
• ESLint (Microsoft)
• GitLens

Dev Containers

Define your dev environment in .devcontainer/devcontainer.json. VS Code spins up a Docker container and connects to it. 100% reproducible dev environments.

Profiles (2025)

Switch between "Work", "Personal", and "Demo" profiles with different settings/extensions enabled.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use Sync: Turn on Settings Sync (GitHub account) to keep keybindings across machines.
• Use code .: Launch from terminal.
• Use Inline Chat: Cmd+I to ask Copilot to refactor code in-place.

Don't:

• Don't minimalize too much: Hiding the sidebar/activity bar makes you slower. Learn the toggle shortcuts (Cmd+B) instead.

References

• VS Code Documentation