Additional Information
Powerful source code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows
| Latest Version | Visual Studio Code 1.96.2 (64-bit) |
| Requirements |
Windows 7 64/Windows 8 64/Windows 10 64/Windows 11 |
| Updated | December 21, 2024 |
| Author | Microsoft Corporation |
| Category | Developer Tools |
| License | Freeware |
| Language | English |
| Download | 1307 |
Overview
Visual Studio Code is a powerful code editor redefined and optimized for building and debugging modern web and cloud applications. The tool provides developers with a new choice of developer tool that combines the simplicity and streamlined experience of a code editor with the best of what developers need for their core code-edit-debug cycle.
VS Code is a free and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It offers a powerful and intuitive environment for writing, editing, and debugging code across multiple programming languages. It provides a wide range of features that enhance productivity, such as syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging capabilities, version control integration, and an extensive library of extensions.
Microsoft Visual Studio Code is the first code editor and first cross-platform development tool - supporting macOS, Linux, and Windows - in the Visual Studio family.
At its heart, Visual Studio Code 64-bit features a powerful, fast code editor great for day-to-day use. The Preview release of Code already has many of the features developers need in a code and text editor, including navigation, keyboard support with customizable bindings, syntax highlighting, bracket matching, auto-indentation, and snippets, with support for dozens of languages.
Highlights
Introducing IntelliSense
Enhance your coding experience beyond simple syntax highlighting and autocomplete. IntelliSense takes it a step further by offering intelligent suggestions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules.
Effortless debugging
Say goodbye to relying solely on print statements for debugging. Debug your code directly within the editor. Whether you're launching or attaching to your running applications, you can utilize breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console to troubleshoot effectively.
Seamless Git integration
Streamline your Git workflow and work seamlessly with other source control management (SCM) providers. With built-in Git commands, you can conveniently review diffs, stage files, and make commits directly from the editor. Additionally, you have the ability to push and pull from any hosted SCM service.
Customizable and extensible
Take control of your coding environment. Extend the capabilities of your editor by installing extensions that introduce new languages, themes, debuggers, and connections to additional services. These extensions run independently, ensuring optimal performance without slowing down your editor.
Effortless deployment with confidence
With Microsoft Azure integration, deploying and hosting your websites becomes a breeze. Whether you're working with React, Angular, Vue, Node, Python, or more, you can deploy and host your sites with ease. In addition, you can leverage Azure to store and query relational and document-based data, and scale your applications using serverless computing. All of this can be accomplished seamlessly within VS Code.
Key Features
Lightweight and Fast: VSC is built on Electron, making it highly responsive and efficient, even when working with large codebases.
Intelligent Code Completion: The editor analyzes your code and suggests completions based on context, language semantics, and installed extensions.
Integrated Terminal: It comes with a built-in terminal, enabling you to execute commands without switching to an external console.
Git Integration: The software seamlessly integrates with Git, providing version control features like branch management, commit history, and side-by-side diff views.
Extension Ecosystem: VS Code boasts a vast marketplace of extensions that can be easily installed to enhance functionality, adding support for different languages, frameworks, and tools.
How to Use
Installation: Download the installer from the official website or FileHorse and follow the installation wizard.
Workspace: Open a folder or create a new project as a workspace.
Editing: Use the sidebar or keyboard shortcuts to navigate through files and folders. Start editing your code in the main editor area.
Extensions: Access the Extensions Marketplace from the sidebar, search for desired extensions, and install them to extend the editor's functionality.
Debugging: Set breakpoints, inspect variables, and execute step-by-step debugging with the integrated debugging tools.
Version Control: Initiate and manage Git repositories within the source control panel.
FAQ
Can I customize the appearance of Visual Studio Code?
Yes, it allows extensive customization, including themes, icon sets, font settings, and more. Visit the settings menu to tailor the editor to your preferences.
Does Visual Studio Code support remote development?
Absolutely! VS Code has built-in support for remote development, allowing you to work on code stored in different environments or containers.
Can I collaborate with others using Microsoft Visual Studio Code?
Yes, it supports collaborative coding through the Live Share extension. It enables real-time code editing and sharing across multiple developers.
Is Visual Studio Code limited to specific programming languages?
No, it supports a wide range of programming languages out of the box. Additionally, the vast extension ecosystem provides support for even more languages and frameworks.
Does Visual Studio Code consume a lot of system resources?
While the app is relatively lightweight, resource consumption can vary depending on the extensions and the size of the project. However, overall, it performs well on most systems.
Alternatives
Visual Studio Express: A fully-featured IDE from Microsoft with extensive language and framework support.
Visual Studio Community: A fully-featured, extensible, free IDE for creating modern applications for Android, iOS, and Windows, as well as web applications and cloud services.
GitHub Copilot: It turns natural language prompts into coding suggestions.
Tabnine: AI assistant for software developers! It uses generative AI technology to predict and suggests your next lines of code based on context & syntax.
Sublime Text: A proprietary code editor known for its speed and simplicity.
Eclipse IDE: A widely used IDE that supports C++ development and offers extensive plugin support for enhanced functionality.
System Requirements
VS Code is a free and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It offers a powerful and intuitive environment for writing, editing, and debugging code across multiple programming languages. It provides a wide range of features that enhance productivity, such as syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging capabilities, version control integration, and an extensive library of extensions.
Microsoft Visual Studio Code is the first code editor and first cross-platform development tool - supporting macOS, Linux, and Windows - in the Visual Studio family.
At its heart, Visual Studio Code 64-bit features a powerful, fast code editor great for day-to-day use. The Preview release of Code already has many of the features developers need in a code and text editor, including navigation, keyboard support with customizable bindings, syntax highlighting, bracket matching, auto-indentation, and snippets, with support for dozens of languages.
Highlights
Introducing IntelliSense
Enhance your coding experience beyond simple syntax highlighting and autocomplete. IntelliSense takes it a step further by offering intelligent suggestions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules.
Effortless debugging
Say goodbye to relying solely on print statements for debugging. Debug your code directly within the editor. Whether you're launching or attaching to your running applications, you can utilize breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console to troubleshoot effectively.
Seamless Git integration
Streamline your Git workflow and work seamlessly with other source control management (SCM) providers. With built-in Git commands, you can conveniently review diffs, stage files, and make commits directly from the editor. Additionally, you have the ability to push and pull from any hosted SCM service.
Customizable and extensible
Take control of your coding environment. Extend the capabilities of your editor by installing extensions that introduce new languages, themes, debuggers, and connections to additional services. These extensions run independently, ensuring optimal performance without slowing down your editor.
Effortless deployment with confidence
With Microsoft Azure integration, deploying and hosting your websites becomes a breeze. Whether you're working with React, Angular, Vue, Node, Python, or more, you can deploy and host your sites with ease. In addition, you can leverage Azure to store and query relational and document-based data, and scale your applications using serverless computing. All of this can be accomplished seamlessly within VS Code.
Key Features
Lightweight and Fast: VSC is built on Electron, making it highly responsive and efficient, even when working with large codebases.
Intelligent Code Completion: The editor analyzes your code and suggests completions based on context, language semantics, and installed extensions.
Integrated Terminal: It comes with a built-in terminal, enabling you to execute commands without switching to an external console.
Git Integration: The software seamlessly integrates with Git, providing version control features like branch management, commit history, and side-by-side diff views.
Extension Ecosystem: VS Code boasts a vast marketplace of extensions that can be easily installed to enhance functionality, adding support for different languages, frameworks, and tools.
How to Use
Installation: Download the installer from the official website or FileHorse and follow the installation wizard.
Workspace: Open a folder or create a new project as a workspace.
Editing: Use the sidebar or keyboard shortcuts to navigate through files and folders. Start editing your code in the main editor area.
Extensions: Access the Extensions Marketplace from the sidebar, search for desired extensions, and install them to extend the editor's functionality.
Debugging: Set breakpoints, inspect variables, and execute step-by-step debugging with the integrated debugging tools.
Version Control: Initiate and manage Git repositories within the source control panel.
FAQ
Can I customize the appearance of Visual Studio Code?
Yes, it allows extensive customization, including themes, icon sets, font settings, and more. Visit the settings menu to tailor the editor to your preferences.
Does Visual Studio Code support remote development?
Absolutely! VS Code has built-in support for remote development, allowing you to work on code stored in different environments or containers.
Can I collaborate with others using Microsoft Visual Studio Code?
Yes, it supports collaborative coding through the Live Share extension. It enables real-time code editing and sharing across multiple developers.
Is Visual Studio Code limited to specific programming languages?
No, it supports a wide range of programming languages out of the box. Additionally, the vast extension ecosystem provides support for even more languages and frameworks.
Does Visual Studio Code consume a lot of system resources?
While the app is relatively lightweight, resource consumption can vary depending on the extensions and the size of the project. However, overall, it performs well on most systems.
Alternatives
Visual Studio Express: A fully-featured IDE from Microsoft with extensive language and framework support.
Visual Studio Community: A fully-featured, extensible, free IDE for creating modern applications for Android, iOS, and Windows, as well as web applications and cloud services.
GitHub Copilot: It turns natural language prompts into coding suggestions.
Tabnine: AI assistant for software developers! It uses generative AI technology to predict and suggests your next lines of code based on context & syntax.
Sublime Text: A proprietary code editor known for its speed and simplicity.
Eclipse IDE: A widely used IDE that supports C++ development and offers extensive plugin support for enhanced functionality.
System Requirements
- Windows: Windows 7 (64-bit) or later.
- RAM: 4 GB recommended.
- Disk Space: 200 MB for installation, additional space for extensions and projects.
PROS
- Lightweight and fast, even with large codebases
- Wide language and framework support
- Rich extension ecosystem for customization and added functionality
- Excellent Git integration and version control features
- Cross-platform compatibility
CONS
- Advanced features may have a learning curve for beginners
- Requires manual configuration for certain functionalities
Conclusion
Visual Studio Code stands out as a powerful and versatile code editor, catering to the needs of both beginner and advanced developers. Its lightweight nature, extensive features, and cross-platform compatibility make it a go-to choice for many professionals in the industry.
With its vibrant extension ecosystem, VS Code allows developers to personalize their coding environment, supporting a wide array of programming languages and frameworks. Despite a few minor drawbacks, it offers an excellent coding experience and remains a top contender in the realm of code editors.
