What is Visual Studio Code?
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open-source code editor from Microsoft that runs on all major platforms. Unlike the full Visual Studio IDE, VS Code is a lightweight editor that can be extended through extensions into a full development environment for virtually any programming language. With over 30,000 extensions in the marketplace, VS Code is the most popular code editor worldwide.
VS Code offers native integration with Azure services through Azure extensions and supports remote development via SSH, containers, and GitHub Codespaces.
Key Features
- Extensible Ecosystem: Over 30,000 extensions for languages, frameworks, themes, and tools
- Integrated Terminal: Direct access to shell, Git, and CLI tools without switching editors
- IntelliSense: Intelligent code completion for TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, and more languages
- Remote Development: Development in containers, on remote servers, or in GitHub Codespaces
- GitHub Copilot: AI code assistance directly in the editor
Typical Use Cases
Web Development: Frontend development with JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Vue, or Angular with integrated debugging.
Python and Data Science: Python development with Jupyter Notebook integration, linting, and debugging.
Cloud-native Development: Developing Azure Functions, container applications, and Kubernetes workloads with Azure extensions.
Benefits
- Free and Open Source: No license costs, active community, and regular updates
- Cross-platform: Identical experience on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Lightweight: Fast startup and low resource consumption
- Extensible: Customizable for any workflow and language
Frequently Asked Questions about Visual Studio Code
What is the difference from Visual Studio?
VS Code is a lightweight editor extended through extensions. Visual Studio is a full IDE with integrated compiler and advanced enterprise features. For simple web projects or polyglot development, VS Code is often sufficient.
What Azure extensions are available?
The Azure Tools Extension Pack includes extensions for Azure Functions, App Service, Storage, Databases, Container Registry, and more. Each extension enables deployment and management directly from VS Code.
Does VS Code work in the browser?
Yes, at vscode.dev you can use VS Code directly in the browser. GitHub Codespaces provides cloud-based development environments with VS Code as the interface.
How do I use VS Code for remote development?
With the Remote Development extension, you can access Linux servers via SSH, develop in Docker containers, or use Dev Containers for reproducible environments.
Is VS Code suitable for large projects?
Yes, VS Code scales well for large codebases. However, for very complex .NET solutions with many dependencies, Visual Studio offers better performance and features.
Integration with innFactory
Visual Studio Code is a free tool that requires no direct consulting. For questions about optimal cloud development environments or Azure integration, innFactory is happy to support you as a Microsoft Solutions Partner.
