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