VS Code Plugins & Extensions¶
Example VS Code extensions to evaluate for a specific development workflow
Scope and Selection Criteria¶
- Scope: Extension availability, identifiers, pricing, licenses, trust, telemetry, and compatibility depend on the VS Code and Marketplace versions. This is a curated example list, not a universal required set.
- Assumptions: Select extensions for a named language, repository, remote environment, formatter and linter policy. Avoid overlapping formatters or language servers unless precedence is explicit.
- Evidence and uncertainty: Popularity and a short description do not establish security, maintenance quality, or productivity benefit. Review publisher identity, permissions, release history, workspace trust, and measured startup or CPU impact.
- Failure and completion: Test conflicts, untrusted-workspace behavior, remote support, formatting output, uninstall and settings rollback. A selection is complete when the repository workflow works without duplicated diagnostics or unacceptable resource use.
Directory Navigation¶
Material Icon Theme¶
Provides clear, intuitive directory and file icons for better visual organization.
Installation:
Candidate Extensions¶
Development Essentials¶
| Extension | Description | Command |
|---|---|---|
| GitLens | Git supercharged | ext install eamodio.gitlens |
| Prettier | Code formatter | ext install esbenp.prettier-vscode |
| ESLint | JavaScript linter | ext install dbaeumer.vscode-eslint |
| Docker | Docker support | ext install ms-azuretools.vscode-docker |
Language Support¶
| Extension | Description | Command |
|---|---|---|
| Python | Python IntelliSense | ext install ms-python.python |
| Java Extension Pack | Java support | ext install vscjava.vscode-java-pack |
| Go | Go language support | ext install golang.go |
Productivity¶
| Extension | Description | Command |
|---|---|---|
| Remote - SSH | Remote development | ext install ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh |
| Live Server | Local dev server | ext install ritwickdey.LiveServer |
| Thunder Client | REST API client | ext install rangav.vscode-thunder-client |
Settings Recommendations¶
User Settings (settings.json)¶
{
"editor.fontSize": 14,
"editor.fontFamily": "'JetBrains Mono', 'Fira Code', monospace",
"editor.fontLigatures": true,
"editor.formatOnSave": true,
"editor.minimap.enabled": false,
"editor.tabSize": 2,
"workbench.iconTheme": "material-icon-theme",
"terminal.integrated.fontSize": 13,
"files.autoSave": "afterDelay"
}