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Software Musings

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Top 5 VS Code Extensions - [Aug 2024]

2 minute read

VS Code is one of the widely used plugins by developers, engineers & data scientists. Here are the top 5 VS Code Plugins for Python developers especially, along with examples of how they enhance your development experience. These five VS Code extensions are considered due to their comprehensive and essential features that directly address common development needs.

The code examples are shown along with the descriptions of the extension.

1. Python - by Microsoft

The official Python extension for VS Code is essential for any Python developer. Let’s look at some of its main features:

  • IntelliSense: Provides intelligent code completions based on the context.
  • Linting: Helps catch errors and potential issues in your code.
  • Debugging: Integrated debugging tools for setting breakpoints, stepping through code, and inspecting variables.

With this extension, as you type add(, IntelliSense will suggest adding and showing the function signature. Refer to the image below for reference. This is how it should look once you have the extension installed in your VS Code;

Python Extension

2. Pylance

A language server for Python that provides fast, feature-rich IntelliSense, type checking, and more. Some Main Features include;

  • Type Checking: Pylance provides real-time type checking and helps catch type-related errors.
  • Rich IntelliSense: Offers more accurate and context-aware code completions.
  • Code Navigation: Allows you to easily navigate to definitions, references, and more.

This is how it should look once you have the extension installed in your VS Code;

Pylance Extension

3. Jupyter

Adds Jupyter Notebook support to VS Code, allowing you to work with notebooks directly within the editor. The main Features of the Jupyter extension include;

  • Notebook Execution: Run Jupyter notebooks (.ipynb files) seamlessly.
  • Interactive Data Visualization: See plots and data visualizations inline.
  • When running the code in a Jupyter Notebook within VS Code, the plot will be rendered directly in the notebook interface.

This is how it should look once you have the Jupyter extension installed in your VS Code;

Jupyter Extension

4. GitLens

You can Git from within VSCode, which offers powerful features to visualize and manage Git repositories. GitLens offers many features. Some of these include;

  • Git Blame: See who last modified a line and why.
  • Commit History: View the history of a file or line of code.
  • File Annotations: Provides inline annotations and tooltips with Git information

Hover over a line of code to see who last modified it and when. GitLens might show. This is how it should look once you have the extension installed in your VS Code;

GitLens Extension

5. autoDocstring - Python Docstring Generator

Automatically generates docstrings for your Python functions, methods, and classes according to PEP 257.

How it works:

  • After you create your function definition, enter “”” and it will prompt you to auto-generate docstrings. It ensures that your code is well-documented, which is vital for code maintainability and collaboration. Refer to the image below that shows the code and how it should look once the extension is installed.

autoDoc Extension

After you press enter, it should show something like this;

autoDoc Ext

I hope this post helps in boosting your productivity when you use VS Code!

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