Discover these must-have VS Code extensions as recommended by these seasoned web developers. Dive into their comprehensive review of these essential tools and enhancements to supercharge your coding experience. From productivity boosters to debugging aids, find out which extensions top the list and take your development workflow to the next level!
Syntax.fm: How to setup VS Code like a PRO!
This episode of Syntax.fm was jammed packed with so much useful information and tools used by seasoned professionals. Definitely worth the watch from both these web development creators! (src: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdM5VSlJVw)
Extensions
These are just a list of extensions that they cover in their podcast. You can also find them – here.
Text Pastry
Extend the power of multiple selections in VSCode. Modify selections, insert numeric sequences, incremental numbers, generate uuids, date ranges, insert continuously from a word list and more.
Better Comments
This extension helps create more human-friendly comments in your code. Will be able to categorize annotations.
Auto Rename Tag
Automatically rename paired HTML/XML tag, same as Visual Studio IDE does.
Change Case
A wrapper around node-change-case for VSCode. Quickly change the case of the current selection or current word. Essentially highlight variable word, then in search box type:
> change Case came or
> change Case snake or
> change Case kebab
Permute Lines
This extension brings to VS Code the following line operations: Reverse | Shuffle | Unique
File Utils
A convenient way of creating, duplicating, moving, renaming, deleting files and directories.
Sort JSON objects
Alphabetically sorts the keys in selected JSON objects.
SQLite Viewer
A quick and easy SQLite viewer for VSCode, inspired by DB Browser for SQLite and Airtable.
Spell Checker
A basic spell checker that works well with code and documents. The goal of this spell checker is to help catch common spelling errors while keeping the number of false positives low.
APC Customize UI
This extension allows customization outside VSCode scoop. Unlike its predecessor, it ships with no default settings, granting you full customization control.
Simple Console Log Wrapper
Wrap to console.log (or any function name) by word or selection.
VS Code Shortcuts to Jump Around Editor
I found these tips to be insightful from their vlogcast and listing them here for future reference!
# NAVIGATION TIPS
In the cmd pallet bar typing #functionName can jump to a variable in the document.
By OPTION + clicking (variable name)
– it will open the document where the function is being defined
CTRL + (-)minus
– allows you to nav back/forth through the code structure
– Or you can bind mouse buttons on a mouse to traverse the document in the editor as well.
By hitting F12
– can also bring you to the direct definition when your cursor appears over the functionName.
# MOVE, SELECT, EXPAND | SHORTCUTS
OPTION + L/R (arrows)
– jump word-by-word for selections
CMD + L
– select an entire line you are on
CMD + L + SHIFT
– will turn from a move to a SELECTION
CMD + L/R (arrows)
– allows you to jump from bringing of line or end of line
CMD + L + L
– will select the code block line by line
CMD + SHIFT + ARROW
– selects entire line
Select by scope:
– open cmd pallet and type >expand selection – select by 3 diff scopes
OPTION + U/D (arrows)
– to move content up/down a line w/o having to copy/paste
To duplicate a line:
– SHIFT + OPTION + U/D (arrows)
– (alternative) CMD + SHIFT + D
Placing cursors on every line…
– CMD + SHIFT + L – after selecting all lines you want to affect.
– is useful when you want to include a property or label on every element in one swoop
# INTERFACE
Enable “Sticky Headers” –
– when nested inside like a function it will lock it to the top
Activity Bar Buttons –
– can move from from horizontal left-side view to top for less visual space
CMD + SHIFT + P
– standard command to open the command pallet
# RENAME SYMBOLS (FUNCTIONS/VARS)
Place cursor on word, right-click and choose the type of scope:
– RENAME SYMBOL (affects existing document you are in) or
– CHANGE ALL OCCURRENCES (affects instances in all files)
Or hit F2; type change of text; then hit SHIFT + ENTER, pop-up box appears (refactor preview) where you can check/uncheck what you want to change and hit APPLY to make those changes.
# AI EDITOR INTEGRATIONS
There was a brief conversation on these two tools for which they have other videos they cover on the topic.
CoPilot + Codium
Traversy Media: 20 Essential VS Code Extensions 2024
These are additional extensions that Brad Traversy has covered using VSCode.
source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBTgcO6CKv0
Extensions
Prettier
GitHub Copilot
Live Server
Multiple Cursor Case Preserve
Git History
Git Lens
Code Runner
Markdown Preview Enhanced
Console Ninja
RegEx Snippets
Polacode
Code Spell Checker
Document This
ChatGPT
Peacock
Postman
REST Client
Bookmarks
Codimate/Codium AI
Quokka.js
Here is an overview of each extension in more detail that Brad covers and has benefited in his workflow.
Prettier
An opinionated 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.
GitHub Copilot
Provides autocomplete-style suggestions from an AI pair programmer as you code. You can receive suggestions from GitHub Copilot either by starting to write the code you want to use, or by writing a natural language comment describing what you want the code to do.
Live Server
Launch a development local Server with live reload feature for static & dynamic pages
Multiple Cursor Case Preserve
Preserves case when editing with multiple cursors.
Git History
View git log, file history, compare branches or commits.
Git Lens
Visualize code authorship at a glance via Git blame annotations and CodeLens, seamlessly navigate and explore Git repositories, gain valuable insights via rich visualizations and powerful comparison commands, and so much more
Code Runner
Run code snippet or code file in different languages.
Markdown Preview Enhanced
An extension gives you a live preview of your markdown as you write it. Can preview markdown within VS Code without and extensions. Can view the table of contents, pdf export, syntax highlighting, preview customization and more.
Console Ninja
A VSCode extension that displays console.log output and runtime errors directly in your editor from your running browser or node application. It’s like your browser dev tools console tab or terminal output from your node app, but instead of having to context switch, values are connected to your code and displayed ergonomically in your editor.
RegEx Snippets
Easily insert popular RegEx codes without memorizing anything!
Polacode
Polaroid for your code. Useful for sharing code snippets on social media or a blog post.
Code Spell Checker
Spelling checker for source code. The goal is to help catch common spelling errors while keeping the number of false positives low.
Document This
Automatically generates detailed JSDoc comments in TypeScript and JavaScript files.
ChatGPT
GPT-4,Key-free,Free of charge. Allows sidebar to appear in VS Code to ask questions. In the command pallet your can type >chatgpt and will be shown a variety of pre-programmed tasks for quick questions or generate code snippets.
Peacock
Subtly change the workspace color of your workspace. Ideal when you have multiple VSCode instances (like front-end or back-end pieces of a project)and you want to quickly identify which is which by color coding the window.
Postman
Streamline API development and testing with the power of Postman, directly in your favorite IDE.
REST Client
Send HTTP request and view the response in VSCode directly. You can create files with the extension HTTP and write the request right in the file and run it and see the response in the output window so it’s a great way to test out API’s but also document them so you can have a file for each endpoint and can write comments in the file to explain what that request does.
Bookmarks
Working with large files? Mark lines and jump to them.
Codimate/Codium AI
Your code integrity AI mate – analyzes your code and generates meaningful tests to catch bugs before you ship (powered by GPT-3.5 & 4 & TestGPT-1)
Quokka.js
A developer productivity tool for rapid JavaScript / TypeScript prototyping. Runtime values are updated and displayed in your IDE next to your code, as you type.

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