12 VS Code Extensions to INCREASE Productivity 2024

Summary

This video script discusses the importance of a healthy coding environment for productivity and quality of work. It introduces various extensions for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) that are essential for a computer science student or any programmer. The extensions covered include Code Runner for quick testing, Tabnine for AI coding assistance, Live Server for real-time web development, Excel Viewer for viewing spreadsheets, Code Tour for presenting code walkthroughs, To-Do Highlights for task management, Material Icon Theme for aesthetic improvement, Draw IO for UML diagramming, Polar Code for code snippet presentation, Code Spell Checker for identifying errors, Prettier for code formatting, and Vibrancy for a sleek visual upgrade. The video aims to enhance the viewer's VS Code experience and productivity.

Takeaways

• 🚀 To optimize productivity, a healthy coding environment is crucial for programmers.
• 💻 The video recommends using Visual Studio Code (VS Code) as the preferred IDE for its versatility and features.
• 🔍 The 'Code Runner' extension is highlighted for its ability to streamline the process of running code snippets, saving time and effort.
• 🌟 'Tab 9' is introduced as an AI coding assistant that provides real-time suggestions and can even write code based on user input.
• 🌐 'Live Server' is essential for web developers, allowing them to see their code changes in real-time directly in the browser.
• 📊 The 'Excel Viewer' extension is useful for data scientists and analysts, enabling them to view Excel spreadsheets directly within VS Code.
• 🎥 'Code Tour' helps in creating walkthroughs of code, which is beneficial for presentations or explaining code to others.
• 📌 'To-Do Highlights' assists in keeping track of tasks or comments that need attention within the codebase.
• 🎨 'Material Icon Theme' adds an aesthetic touch to the IDE by providing better-looking icons for files and folders.
• 📐 'Draw IO' is a game-changer for creating UML diagrams directly within VS Code, eliminating the need for external tools.
• 🖌 'Polar Code' is a tool for presenting code snippets professionally, with customizable backgrounds and formatting options.
• ✅ 'Code Spell Checker' helps identify and correct spelling mistakes in code comments, preventing potential errors and improving code quality.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about the best Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extensions that can optimize productivity and quality of work for programmers.

What are the three things needed to follow the video?

To follow the video, one needs a computer or laptop that can turn on, an internet connection for browsing the web, and an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like VS Code.

What is the first VS Code extension discussed in the video?

The first VS Code extension discussed is 'Code Runner', which automates the process of compiling and running code.

How does Code Runner streamline the coding process?

Code Runner streamlines the coding process by automatically compiling and running code, eliminating the need for manual compilation and execution commands in the terminal.

What is 'Tabnine' and how does it assist in coding?

Tabnine is an AI coding assistant that suggests code snippets in real-time based on what the programmer is typing, making it easier to write and complete code faster.

What is 'Live Server' and why is it essential for web developers?

Live Server is an extension that allows web developers to simultaneously code and see the changes reflected in a live browser preview, making it easier to调试 and test web applications in real-time.

How does the 'Excel Viewer' extension benefit data scientists and analysts?

The 'Excel Viewer' extension allows users to view and interact with Excel spreadsheets directly within VS Code, which can be beneficial for data scientists and analysts who need to visualize and work with data without switching between applications.

What is 'Code Tour' and how does it help in presenting code?

Code Tour is an extension that enables users to create guided tours of their code, highlighting specific sections, and providing comments to walk others through the code's functionality or structure, which is useful for presentations or code reviews.

What does the 'To-Do Highlights' extension do?

The 'To-Do Highlights' extension highlights comments marked with 'todo' or 'fix me' (in capital letters) in bright colors, making it easier to identify and address unfinished tasks or issues within the code.

Why is 'Draw IO' considered a game-changing extension?

Draw IO is considered a game-changing extension because it allows users to create UML diagrams and other diagrams within VS Code itself, without needing to use separate diagramming software, thus streamlining the development process.

What is 'Polar Code' and how does it enhance code presentation?

Polar Code is an extension that helps present code snippets in a professional and visually appealing format, similar to a Polaroid picture. It allows users to export code snippets as images with customizable backgrounds and transparency settings.

How does the 'Code Spell Checker' extension help in preventing errors?

The 'Code Spell Checker' extension identifies and underlines incorrectly spelled words in the code, offering quick fixes or suggestions for corrections, which helps prevent compilation errors and improves code quality.

What is the purpose of the 'Prettier' extension?

The 'Prettier' extension is an automatic code formatter that ensures consistent and properly structured code formatting, making the code more readable and easier to maintain, especially in collaborative projects.

What effect does the 'Vibrancy' extension have on the VS Code interface?

The 'Vibrancy' extension applies a glass-like, transparent design effect to the VS Code interface, enhancing its aesthetics and providing a more visually pleasing coding environment.