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Visual Studio Code Review

A versatile code editor for programmers and web designers

Updated 10/21/2024

DISCOVERY
I needed a new code editor as the software that I had been using was hopelessly obsolete. I researched and watched YouTube Videos to determine a good alternative. I was also hoping to find something similar to the old Multi-Edit software from the DOS days. VSCode by Microsoft was by far and away the #1 recommendation anywhere I looked. This choice was a simple one.

INSTALLATION
The software can be downloaded FREE from the Microsoft VSCode website. It installs on Windows 10 just like anything else. Nothing special is required and it could not be easier. Installing the Linux version is slightly more challenging, depending on your distro. I do believe there is a Mac version as well.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I admit that this editor appears a bit overwhelming at first because it has so many features. It's quite slick! VSCode does resemble my old Mult-Edit software! Yay! The left-hand side shows your working folder with the various files withing your project. The center and largest pane (editor) is tabbed and contains the whatever file(s) you have opened for coding. On the far-right is a narrow pane that indicates your relative position in the current file. I picked the dark color scheme as it seems to be easier on my eyes when coding for long periods of time.

HTML & CSS (EXTENSION)
This extension has everything you need for working on web pages. Everything is color coded, which makes things easier to read and understand. The syntax checker will show your mistakes in red to prevent simple errors. FOR EXAMPLE: HTML tags are checked to confirm that both the opening and closing tag are present.

PYTHON (EXTENSION)
Everything you need to code in Python is in this extension. All code is color coded, which makes things easier to read and understand. The syntax checker will show any mistakes in red to prevent simple errors. Code can be debugged and executed.

RAINBOW CSV (EXTENSION)
This extension allows you to view .CSV files in a color coded format. Each column will have a different color, making it easier to read. It works best in dark mode. There are some options to align the columns and shrink the columns for easier viewing.

REMOTE EXPLORER & REMOTE SSH (EXTENSIONS)
These two extensions allow you to connect to other computers or virtual machines to perform remote work. I used it with a pair of Linux VM's and a physical Linux to make a simple Python automation script that would run software updates and OS updates.

SFTP/FTP (EXTENSION)
This extension allows a person to connect via Secure FTP to another computer such as a webserver. A simple configuration file contains the login information. You're able to sync the entire website with your local copy or upload individual files as you work on them.

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