Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful, lightweight code editor that students widely use in various fields of study. With its flexibility and a broad range of extensions, VS Code can be tailored to fit the needs of any student, from those learning programming to those working on complex academic projects. This list highlights the top 21 VS Code extensions that can help students streamline their workflow, improve code quality, and enhance their learning experience.
- Live Server
Live Server allows you to launch a development server with live reload. When you change your HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files, the server automatically refreshes in the browser. This extension is indispensable for web development students, providing real-time previewing without needing to refresh manually. It helps improve workflow speed and saves a lot of time during testing. - Prettier – Code Formatter
Prettier is a popular code formatter that automatically formats your code according to predefined rules, making it more readable and consistent. It supports many languages, including JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, and more. For students, this tool helps maintain clean code, making debugging and collaborating on projects easier. It ensures uniformity across team projects and minimises errors caused by inconsistent formatting. - Code Runner
Code Runner allows students to run code snippets from various programming languages directly inside VS Code. Whether working with Python, Java, C++, or even shell scripts, this extension enables you to execute code quickly without leaving the editor. It helps test short snippets or learn different programming languages without switching between IDEs or command lines. - GitLens
GitLens enhances VS Code’s built-in Git capabilities. This extension gives you detailed insights into your code’s history, including line-by-line author and commit information and powerful diffing tools. For students learning version control or working in teams, GitLens provides a deeper understanding of how the project evolves, making it easier to manage your Git workflow. - Python (by Microsoft)
This Microsoft Python extension offers rich support for Python development, including features like IntelliSense (auto-completion), debugging, linting, and more. It’s essential for Python learners and developers as it provides an all-in-one solution for efficiently writing, testing, and debugging Python code. It also integrates with Jupyter notebooks, making it ideal for data science projects and academic research. - Bracket Pair Colourizer 2
This extension helps developers visualise matching brackets with different colours, making it much easier to navigate complex code. It’s beneficial for students working with languages like JavaScript, C++, or Python, where nested structures are common. The colour-coding of brackets ensures you don’t get lost in long functions or loops, boosting productivity and simplifying debugging. - IntelliCode
IntelliCode is an AI-powered extension that provides smarter code completions based on best practices. The extension analyses your code and gives suggestions aligning with common patterns and industry standards. For students, IntelliCode helps speed up coding tasks while improving code quality. It also adapts to your specific coding style, making the suggestions more personalized and relevant. - Markdown All in One
Markdown All in One makes writing, previewing, and formatting markdown documents easier. It enhances the experience of creating documentation, README files, and notes, which are common tasks for students working on projects or writing reports. The extension also supports live preview, table of contents generation, and more, ensuring you can efficiently create clean and well-structured markdown documents. - Path Intellisense
Path Intellisense provides autocompletion for file paths in import statements. If you’re working on a project with multiple files and directories, this extension saves time by allowing you to select files quickly from the autocomplete suggestions. This is particularly helpful for students working with large codebases or web development projects where file paths need to be precise and error-free. - Todo Tree
Todo Tree helps you manage your tasks within code by finding all TODO comments and displaying them in a tree structure. This extension is perfect for students juggling multiple projects or tasks in their code. It helps keep track of unfinished work or ideas that need to be addressed later, improving task management and productivity. - Bracket Pair Colourizer
This extension colour-codes matching brackets, parentheses, and curly braces, which is particularly useful when working with complex code structures. It makes it easy to quickly identify where a block of code starts and ends, reducing the time spent navigating through long or deeply nested code. It’s an excellent tool for students still learning the syntax of new programming languages. - Debugger for Chrome
Debugger for Chrome allows you to debug your JavaScript code in Google Chrome directly from VS Code. This extension is highly beneficial for web development students, as it streamlines the debugging process by providing an integrated environment. You can set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through your code, making identifying and fixing bugs easier. - Docker
Docker integration in VS Code simplifies working with Docker containers and images directly within the editor. Students learning about containerization or working on DevOps projects will find this extension helpful. It allows you to build, run, and manage Docker containers without leaving VS Code, which makes setting up local development environments much easier and more efficient. - HTML CSS Support
HTML CSS Support adds autocompletion for CSS class names in your HTML files. This is essential for students working with web design and front-end development, as it ensures that the CSS classes are correctly referenced in your HTML, reducing errors and typos. It makes navigating between stylesheets and HTML documents smoother and more intuitive. - Jupyter
Jupyter extension in VS Code allows you to run Jupyter notebooks directly from the editor, making it easier for data science or machine learning students. It supports live code execution, visualisations, and markdown in the same environment, enabling students to combine code and documentation seamlessly. The extension supports Python and other languages, making it an essential tool for interactive computing. - ESLint
ESLint is a static code analysis tool for identifying and reporting on patterns in JavaScript. This extension helps students maintain code quality by quickly catching syntax errors, logical issues, and common mistakes. It also provides automatic fixes for common problems, ensuring your code adheres to best practices and is free from basic errors. - Vetur
Vetur is the go-to extension for Vue.js development. It provides syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, code formatting, and more for Vue files. For students learning Vue.js, this extension streamlines the development process by providing an integrated environment with real-time feedback. It’s perfect for students working on modern front-end frameworks and need tools to make their workflow faster and more efficient. - C/C++
The Microsoft C/C++ extension adds rich support for C and C++ programming, including IntelliSense, debugging, and code navigation. This extension is a must-have for students in computer science or engineering courses who work with C/C++. It also provides features like code refactoring, automatic code completion, and step-through debugging, helping students write better code faster. - LaTeX Workshop
LaTeX Workshop is a powerful extension for working with LaTeX documents in VS Code. It’s essential for students working on research papers, theses, or technical reports where LaTeX is commonly used. The extension provides syntax highlighting, PDF preview, and auto-compiling, allowing you to write and preview your LaTeX documents seamlessly within VS Code. - Svelte for VS Code
Svelte for VS Code is designed to streamline development with the Svelte framework. It includes syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, code snippets, and formatting. Students working with the Svelte framework will find this extension helpful in reducing the learning curve, improving development efficiency, and ensuring the code is clean and well-organised. - Settings Sync
Settings Sync allows you to synchronise your VS Code settings, extensions, and configurations across multiple devices. This is particularly useful for students who work on different machines, whether on a personal laptop and a university PC or a desktop and a laptop. The extension automatically backs up your settings to GitHub, ensuring a consistent development environment everywhere.
These 21 VS Code extensions are designed to boost productivity, support learning, and simplify coding tasks for students. Whether you’re working on web development, data science, or software engineering, integrating these extensions into your workflow will not only save time but also enhance your coding efficiency and project management. Start experimenting with these tools and make your coding journey smoother and more enjoyable.