Author: Frank Anderson
Last Updated: 30 December, 2022
Install Visual Studio Code (often abbreviated “VS Code”) from their website. Open and launch the downloaded package and follow the instructions. A link can be found below:
To open your project, click the Explorer icon in the top left of the sidebar and then click Open Folder. Choose the cloned folder of the Git repository of the project you’re working on. (See Version Control if you’d like help with that)
Now your project is open and you can get started! Check out Web Essentials (HTML, CSS, & JS) or Building Your First Site (Profile Generator) for help building a project.
The best guides for getting started can be found at the official documentation. If you want to learn more about Keyboard Shortcuts, Language Support, Setup, Tips, and more start here!
Documentation for Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is pretty bare-bones on its own. Luckily, developers can add their own Extensions to customize it how they see fit. Click the blocky Extensions icon in the sidebar to open the search window. You’ll see installed extensions as well as suggestions.
The Marketplace is also a great place to search for extensions. You can search or sort by most popular. There’s no one best setup of extensions, so tinker, ask for suggestions, and make the IDE your own.
If you prefer the JetBrains lifestyle, JetBrains does offer WebStorm as their Web Development IDE. We suggest VS Code because most mentors use it, but know WebStorm is always an option.