Visual Studio Code, commonly known as VS Code, has rapidly become one of the most popular Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) among developers globally.

Known for its lightweight nature, high customizability, and extensive repository of extensions, it caters to developers from various programming backgrounds.

Whether you work in web development, machine learning, data science, or any other tech-driven field, VS Code Extensions enhances your coding efficiency and streamlines workflows.

As we look toward 2024, it’s essential to keep up with the latest and most beneficial extensions that can significantly boost your development process.

The curated list below covers a range of tools that promise to elevate your productivity and transform your coding experience in the coming year.

Top 29 Best VS Code Extensions for 2024

Code Spell Checker

Perfect for developers who need to avoid spelling errors in their code, Code Spell Checker helps by highlighting typographical mistakes across various coding languages.

This can be particularly helpful in comments, strings, or anywhere else you might accidentally mistype.

Bracket Pair Colorizer

This extension allows you to visually distinguish between different levels of code by coloring matching brackets. This not only enhances the readability of complex nested code but also helps to prevent syntax errors caused by missing or mismatched brackets.

Prettier - Code formatter

Prettier is an opinionated code formatter that supports many languages and integrates with most editors. With Prettier, you can automatically format your code upon saving, ensuring consistency across your project and eliminating debates about style guidelines in team environments.

GitLens

GitLens supercharges the built-in Visual Studio Code Git capabilities. It helps you to visualize code authorship at a glance via Git blame annotations and hover information, navigate and explore Git repositories, gain insights via powerful comparison commands, and much more.

Live Server

For developers working on static websites or who need real-time reloading to see their changes immediately, Live Server launches a local development server with a live reload feature that works out of the box. This means no more manual refreshing to see changes.

ESLint

Integrate ESLint into your VS Code setup to maintain code quality and consistency, especially useful when working with JavaScript or TypeScript.

It provides a pluggable linting utility which identifies and reports on patterns found in ECMAScript/JavaScript code.

Path Intellisense

Filename auto-completion is made easy with Path Intellisense. It autocompletes filenames and reduces the time spent memorizing and typing out exact paths, making coding faster and less prone to errors.

REST Client

REST Client allows you to send HTTP requests and view the response directly within VS Code, eliminating the need for switching between tools like Postman. This can streamline your workflow when testing APIs.

Auto Rename Tag

When modifying HTML or XML, Auto Rename Tag automatically updates corresponding opening or closing tags. This simple feature can save you time and reduce errors during web development.

Bookmarks

With Bookmarks, you can mark places in your code and jump between them, greatly simplifying navigation in larger files or projects. This is especially useful when working on complex codebases where remembering every location is not feasible.

IntelliSense for CSS class names

This extension provides CSS class name completion for the HTML class attribute based on the definitions found in your workspace. It supports other pre-processors like SASS, making it invaluable for front-end developers who deal with extensive styling.

Better Comments

Better Comments improves your annotation experience by coloring different types of comments. Whether it’s a todo, a bug, an important note for other developers, or a question, keeping them visually distinct helps maintain sanity in large codebases.

Import Cost

This extension will display inline in the editor the size of the imported package. Import Cost is particularly helpful for JavaScript developers who need to keep track of the overhead introduced by including libraries and other dependencies.

Polacode

For those who need to share pretty snippets of their code, Polacode is a tool that lets you create and save snapshots of your code with the perfect layout, colors, and fonts which can be shared on social media or documents.

Settings Sync

Settings Sync can be a lifesaver when you use VS Code on multiple devices. It synchronizes your settings, snippets, themes, file icons, launch configurations, and even extensions across any setup, using a GitHub gist.

Debugger for Chrome

Connect your VS Code environment directly to Chrome’s Developer Tools, allowing you to set breakpoints, step through your code, and debug directly from the editor.

npm Intellisense

npm Intellisense imports npm modules by auto-completing module names in import statements within your JavaScript, helping you speed up your coding process.

Quokka.js

Quokka.js is a rapid prototyping playground in your editor, with access to runtime values displayed alongside your code, as you type. It’s extremely useful for complex algorithm development and debugging.

Docker

Simplify your development within Docker containers by using this extension. Docker for VS Code lets you build, manage, and deploy containerized applications from within the editor.

Peacock

With Peacock, you can change the color of your workspace. Ideal if you work with multiple VS Code windows, it helps you quickly identify your project by color-coding your editor.

Indent Rainbow

Indent Rainbow makes indentations more readable by colorizing them. This can be particularly helpful for languages which are heavily reliant on indentation, such as Python.

Output Colorizer

Output Colorizer is essential for anyone needing syntax highlighting for log files, making them easier to read and troubleshoot directly within VS Code.

Rainbow Brackets

A visual aid for coding, Rainbow Brackets colors matching brackets in multiple colors, making it easier to define scope and catch errors.

Additional Noteworthy Extensions

XML

XML extension provides powerful support for XML data files including XSL, XPath, and XQuery files. It features syntax highlighting, intelligent autocomplete, and folding regions.

Sort lines

Sort lines is a simple yet powerful tool that organizes your code lines or text alphabetically or in reverse order, which can be helpful for cleaning up and organizing data and code arrays.

Turbo Console Log

Turbo Console Log automates the process of writing meaningful log messages and systematically places them in your JavaScript/TypeScript code, thus speeding up the debugging process.

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Conclusion

As Visual Studio Code continues to be a top choice for developers, leveraging its vast library of extensions can significantly enhance your coding experience.

The best VS Code extensions we discussed for 2024 offer a variety of functionalities, from improving code efficiency and readability to aiding in version control and collaboration.

By integrating these tools into your development workflow, you can streamline your projects and focus more on creating outstanding applications and services. Make sure to explore these extensions to find the perfect mix that suits your coding style and requirements.

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