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My VS Code extensions

· 7 min read

Intro​

There is growing interest in switching to VSCode as a primary IDE, as it is open-source, lightweight, and extensible compared to the bloated IDEs from JetBrains.

Moreover, the popularity of AI tools such as Cursor (VS Code–based) also adds a reason to learn how to build useful workflows in VS Code–based apps.

By the way, JetBrains' products also cannot be used in some countries due to sanctions—because, of course, users are always held responsible for the actions of their governments 🤡, and JetBrains, a company founded in Russia, instead of formally complying with software export rules, makes every effort to prevent developers from using their products—detecting VPNs, revoking licenses, and ultimately forcing Russian developers to resort to unverified pirated copies or switch to other tools.

I've been using VS Code primarily for over 6 years now and I want to share my top extensions that I use in my work.

Spoiler: there won't be any crazy recipes with maximum customization here, VSCode is not neovim 😁

Just the basic extensions for work. For each extension I wrote why I use it. Of course, these extensions can do much more; I just highlight my main pain points in VS Code, which are solved by these extensions. Let's go!

Web Development Extensions​

React CSS Modules​

React CSS Modules Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=viijay-kr.react-ts-css

Why: For some reason, TypeScript declarations for CSS modules interfere with the source code, preventing Cmd+Click from working on classnames like this:

<div className={styles.banana}>Alas</div>

There is also a discussion on GitHub: https://github.com/vitejs/vite/discussions/5444 React CSS Modules GitHub Discussion

Auto Rename Tags​

Auto Rename Tags Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=formulahendry.auto-rename-tag

Why: Easily rename closing tags while editing the opening tag.

ESLint​

ESLint Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=dbaeumer.vscode-eslint

Why: See linter warnings for your JavaScript and TypeScript code directly in the IDE, blazingly fast. ESLint Example

Import Cost​

Import Cost Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=wix.vscode-import-cost

Why: Shows the impact on bundle size from imports. Import Cost Example

JavaScript and TypeScript Nightly​

JavaScript and TypeScript Nightly Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-next

Why: I often use the newest TypeScript features in my projects, but the built-in version lags behind.

Path Intellisense​

Path Intellisense Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=christian-kohler.path-intellisense

Why: Improved path autocompletion.

SCSS Formatter​

SCSS Formatter Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sibiraj-s.vscode-scss-formatter

Why: A nice SCSS/CSS formatter powered by Prettier.

SCSS IntelliSense​

SCSS IntelliSense Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=mrmlnc.vscode-scss

Why: Autocomplete for SCSS variables, mixins, and functions.

Prisma​

Prisma Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Prisma.prisma

Why: Syntax highlighting for .prisma files, used by Prisma ORM.

Git and Version Control Extensions​

Git History​

Git History Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=donjayamanne.githistory

Why: View line history to quickly identify who to contact regarding the code you're working on. Git History Example

GitHub Pull Requests​

GitHub Pull Requests Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitHub.vscode-pull-request-github

Why: Quickly create pull requests from branches and view code review comments directly in the IDE. GitHub Pull Requests Example

GitLens — Git supercharged​

GitLens Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=eamodio.gitlens

Why: Extended Git support in VS Code.

Productivity and Utility Extensions​

CodeSnap​

CodeSnap Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=adpyke.codesnap

Why: Quickly save screenshots of your code. CodeSnap Example

Peacock​

Peacock Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=johnpapa.vscode-peacock

Why: Easily manage multiple VS Code windows by coloring the title bars differently for each project. Peacock Example

Code Spell Checker​

Code Spell Checker Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker

Why: Finds misspellings and errors in your text, variable names, etc. Also supports additional languages (e.g., Russian) as add-ons.

svgo​

svgo Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=1000ch.svgo

Why: Easily optimize SVGs directly in the IDE. svgo Example

File and Data Handling Extensions​

Docker​

Docker Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-azuretools.vscode-docker

Why: Syntax highlighting for Dockerfiles.

Rainbow CSV​

Rainbow CSV Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=mechatroner.rainbow-csv

Why: Highlights columns in CSV files for better readability. Rainbow CSV Example

SQLite Viewer​

SQLite Viewer Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=qwtel.sqlite-viewer

Why: A quick and easy SQLite viewer. SQLite Viewer Example

Python Development Extensions​

Python​

Python Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python

Why: Python support for VS Code.

Python Debugger​

Python Debugger Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.debugpy

Why: Advanced Python debugger.

Pylance​

Pylance Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.vscode-pylance

Why: Supercharges your Python IntelliSense with rich type information.

C/C++ and Build Tool Extensions​

CMake​

CMake Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=twxs.cmake

Why: Basic support for CMake files.

CMake Tools​

CMake Tools Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cmake-tools

Why: Advanced support for CMake: run your CMake projects from the UI.

clangd​

clangd Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=llvm-vs-code-extensions.vscode-clangd

Why: Advanced code completion and language support for C/C++. I recommend using clang instead of gcc for its better stability and frequent updates. clangd is the language server that comes with clang, and this extension enables it in VS Code.

C/C++​

C/C++ Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools

Why: Basic support for C/C++ languages, including IntelliSense.

C/C++ Themes​

C/C++ Themes Install: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cpptools-themes

Why: Better semantic colorization instead of just the default syntactic/lexical-based one.

That’s all for now. Feel free to share other extensions you find useful in the comments.