9 VSCODE plug-ins that improve efficiency by at least 50%

Before you start coding, you first need to get your workflow working for you. Make it more efficient, prettier and more customizable. It will save you a lot of time and energy, so you will have more power to code.

It doesn't matter whether you are a front-end or back-end developer or an advanced Java programmer. This post is still useful for most of you. Especially for those who are looking for some new ways to improve our usual IDE .

1.CodeTour

"Codetour" is an extension in Visual Studio Code that allows you to create and share code tours, helping others understand the structure and key sections of your codebase. You can use Codetour function by installing this plugin.

You can follow the prompts to create a CodeTour, adding comments, instructions, and tour steps to different code sections. You can then share this CodeTour with team members to help them better understand the codebase.

2.GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an artificial intelligence programming assistant tool jointly developed by GitHub and OpenAI, which provides developers with intelligent code suggestions, auto-completion, document interpretation and code snippet generation. GitHub Copilot uses OpenAI's GPT programming language model to assist developers in multiple programming languages ​​and frameworks.

Here are the key features and benefits of GitHub Copilot:

1. Smart Code Suggestion and Auto-Completion : GitHub Copilot can intelligently provide code suggestions and auto-completion based on the code you're writing. It can infer the developer's intent based on the context and quickly generate code snippets, thereby improving the efficiency of writing code.

2. Multi-language support : Copilot supports multiple programming languages ​​and frameworks, including common programming languages ​​(such as Python, JavaScript, C++, etc.) and some popular frameworks (such as React, Django, etc.).

3. Documentation and comment interpretation : Copilot can explain functions, methods, and variables in the code to help developers better understand the function of the code. It can also generate comments for developers, providing instructions on the behavior and purpose of the code.

4. Generate code snippets : Copilot can generate code snippets based on descriptions. For example, you can describe the functionality you want to implement, and Copilot will generate corresponding code samples.

5. Increased speed and efficiency : Using Copilot can speed up the coding process and reduce the time spent consulting documentation and searching code, thereby increasing development efficiency.

6. Learning new technologies : For beginners and developers, Copilot can help them learn new programming languages, frameworks, and libraries as it provides relevant code examples and explanations.

3.Turbo Console Log

1. Quickly insert debug statements : "Turbo Console Log" allows you to quickly insert debug statements in your code to output variable values, function return values, and more. You simply select the variable in your code and use the shortcut keys or right-click menu to insert debug statements.

2. Customized output format : The plug-in supports custom output format, and you can specify the output content and format when inserting debugging statements. This helps format the debug information to your needs for easy reading.

3. Intelligent variable name inference : "Turbo Console Log" can infer variable names based on context, which means you don't have to type variable names manually, the plugin will automatically recognize the variables you want to output.

4. Support multiple programming languages : The plugin supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, etc., which you can use in different projects.

5. Display output in the code line : The output debugging information will be displayed directly in the code line, which helps you to view the debugging output conveniently while viewing the code.

6. Shortcuts and commands : The plug-in provides shortcuts and commands for you to insert and manage debugging statements. You can invoke plug-in functions through keyboard shortcuts or the Command Palette.

4.Live Share

1. Real-time collaboration : Live Share allows multiple developers to share code simultaneously and edit in real time, no matter where they are. This makes collaboration more real-time and efficient, with team members seeing changes to code instantly.

2. Cross-platform support : "Live Share" supports collaboration between developers on different operating systems (such as Windows, macOS, Linux). Team members can easily share code regardless of the operating system they use.

3. Editing permissions control : Live Share allows the host (sharer) to control other people's editing permissions. This enables teams to work better together while ensuring code stability and quality.

4. Debug Collaboration : In addition to code sharing, Live Share allows team members to share debugging sessions. This means you can debug code and solve problems together with others.

5. Terminal Sharing : Live Share provides a terminal sharing feature that allows you to share a terminal session within a sharing session. This helps teams share command-line actions and run commands.

6. Security and Privacy : Live Share offers some security and privacy settings to keep your sharing sessions safe. You can choose whether to share sensitive information during the sharing process.

5 Todo Tree

1. Recognize to-do items : The "Todo Tree" plugin can scan code for comments, identify comment lines containing keywords such as "TODO", "FIXME", "NOTE", and list them. This helps you find backlogs and parts of your code that need attention.

2. Multiple Tag Keywords Support : The plugin supports multiple tag keywords, and you can customize or add other keywords in the plugin settings. This allows you to tag different types of backlogs based on project needs.

3. Show to-do list : "Todo Tree" will display a to-do list in the sidebar of VS Code. The list will show the recognized todos with their file, line number and comment content.

4. Jump to the to-do position : You can click the to-do item in the "Todo Tree" list to quickly jump to the corresponding code position. This helps you quickly find issues or tasks that you need to work on.

5. Filtering and Searching : The plugin allows you to filter and search your to-do list, making it easy to find specific types of to-dos.

6. Custom Color and Style : You can customize the color and style of the todo in the plugin's settings to make it more eye-catching in the code.

6.Rest Client

1. Initiate HTTP requests : "Rest Client" allows you to write HTTP requests in VS Code, and define the request method, URL, header, query parameters, request body, etc. by using a specific syntax format.

2. Simulate Requests : The plugin allows you to simulate different types of HTTP requests such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. You can define multiple requests in a requests file and execute the tests one by one.

3. View the response : "Rest Client" can not only initiate a request, but also display the response result of the request, including status code, header information and response content. This helps you view the data returned by the server.

4. Support for environment variables : The plugin supports the use of environment variables, which you can define and manage and then use in requests. This allows for better management of requests for different environments.

5. Import and export requests : "Rest Client" allows you to save requests to a file for later use or sharing. You can also load requests by importing files for easy sharing and team collaboration.

6. Applicable to multiple request formats : The plugin supports multiple request formats, such as JSON, XML, form data, etc. You can choose a suitable format according to your needs.

7. Customize request header and query parameters : In the request, you can customize the request header and query parameters to meet specific needs.

7.CSS Peek

1. View associated styles : "CSS Peek" allows you to select an element in the HTML file, and then quickly view the CSS styles associated with the element through the right-click menu or shortcut keys. This helps you understand the appearance and style rules of elements more quickly.

2. Live Preview : The plugin provides a live preview feature which shows the associated CSS styles when you select an element in the HTML file. This allows you to view styles directly without leaving the HTML file.

3. Navigate to a CSS file : In addition to previewing styles, "CSS Peek" allows you to jump to the CSS file containing the selected style. This helps you to make edits and adjustments directly in the style file.

4. Quickly edit styles : In the preview window, you can edit style properties directly, and the plugin will instantly reflect your changes, helping you with real-time debugging.

5. Support multiple style files : If you have multiple CSS files in your project, "CSS Peek" can also view and edit styles in different files.

6. Multiple selection methods : You can view associated styles by selecting elements in HTML files, or by selecting selectors in style files.

8.Import Cost

1. Display module size information : The "Import Cost" plugin will display information about the size of imported modules in your code, usually as a comment or otherwise. This enables you to better understand the impact of imports on project size during development.

2. Support for multiple module systems : The plugin supports multiple JavaScript module systems, including CommonJS, ES6, etc. You can use it in different projects.

3. Intuitive display : Module size information may appear directly in the code in comments or other forms, allowing you to view and understand the size of the module more conveniently.

4. Custom Display Units : The "Import Cost" plugin allows you to choose different units when displaying module sizes, such as bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, etc.

5. File and line count statistics : The plugin not only shows the size of the module, but also counts the file and line count, giving you a more complete picture of the impact of imports on your project.

The "Import Cost" plugin is useful for developers to assess the impact of importing modules on project size. By displaying module size information in your code, you can better decide whether you need to optimize your imports, or choose a lighter-weight module.

9.Thunder Client

1. Send HTTP requests : "Thunder Client" allows you to create and send various types of HTTP requests in VS Code, including GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.

2. Custom request parameters : Plug-ins allow you to add custom parameters such as request headers, query parameters, and request bodies to meet testing needs.

3. View Response : "Thunder Client" displays the response of the request, including status code, header information and response content. This helps you view the data returned by the server.

4. Support for environment variables : The plugin supports defining and using environment variables, allowing you to easily switch between different environments.

5. Save requests and environments : You can save requests and environments to files to share test results with your team or to keep test cases around.

6. Import and export requests : The plugin supports import and export requests, allowing you to share test cases with other tools or colleagues.

7. Beautiful Interface : "Thunder Client" provides a beautiful interface for easy creation and management of requests. It's integrated in VS Code and doesn't require an extra window.

The "Thunder Client" plugin is suitable for developers to quickly perform API testing and debugging in VS Code. The plugin allows you to easily send requests and view responses during development, helping to ensure correctness and performance of API interfaces

in conclusion

These are the nine best extensions for VSCode that I could find and try myself. Some of them have great features that will help you code faster.