Top 10 Visual Studio Code Extensions for JavaScript Developers in 2024
Visual Studio Code (VSCode) has become the go-to code editor for many developers, thanks to its rich ecosystem of extensions. For JavaScript developers, these extensions can significantly enhance productivity and code quality. Here are the top 10 VSCode extensions for JavaScript developers in 2024:
1. Prettier
Prettier is an indispensable tool for automatically formatting your code with customizable rules, ensuring a consistent style across your project. It integrates seamlessly with VSCode, allowing you to format code on save or via a keyboard shortcut.
Key Features:
- Automatic code formatting
- Customizable rules
- Seamless VSCode integration
Demo: Prettier instantly formats code upon saving the file.
Install: Prettier — Code formatter — Visual Studio Marketplace
2. JavaScript Booster
JavaScript Booster enhances VSCode with code actions to perform common refactoring tasks, such as converting functions to arrow functions or replacing if...else statements with ternary operators.
Key Features:
- Refactoring support
- Code actions for common tasks
- Improved code readability
Demo: Performing refactoring tasks like converting a function to an arrow function.
Install: JavaScript Booster — Visual Studio Marketplace
3. ESLint
ESLint is a powerful tool for identifying and fixing problems in JavaScript code, addressing both code quality and style issues. The VSCode extension integrates ESLint into the editor, highlighting issues directly within the code.
Key Features:
- Code quality checks
- Style enforcement
- In-editor error notifications
Demo: ESLint highlights errors with red wavy lines and provides error details on hover.
Install: ESLint — Visual Studio Marketplace
4. GitLens
GitLens enhances VSCode’s Git capabilities by displaying repository information and file history directly within the editor. It helps you understand code changes and their authors.
Key Features:
- Repository insights
- File history and blame
- Inline Git information
Demo: GitLens shows the latest commit information for the current line in the editor.
Install: GitLens — Git supercharged — Visual Studio Marketplace
5. Live Server
Live Server starts a local development server with live reload capabilities, automatically refreshing the browser whenever files are saved.
Key Features:
- Local server setup
- Automatic browser reload
- Quick server launch
Demo: Launching a new server and live-reloading on file changes.
Install: Live Server — Visual Studio Marketplace
6. CSS Peek
CSS Peek allows you to quickly view CSS definitions for class names and IDs in your HTML. It streamlines the process of styling web pages by providing instant access to CSS styles.
Key Features:
- CSS definition preview
- Persistent definition window
- Navigation to CSS files
Demo: Previewing and navigating to CSS definitions using Ctrl + hover.
Install: CSS Peek — Visual Studio Marketplace
7. IntelliSense for CSS Class Names in HTML
This extension enhances code completion for the HTML class attribute, providing suggestions based on existing CSS definitions within the workspace.
Key Features:
- CSS class name auto-completion
- Integration with third-party CSS libraries
Install: IntelliSense for CSS class names in HTML — Visual Studio Marketplace
8. JavaScript (ES6) Code Snippets
JavaScript (ES6) Code Snippets offers a collection of time-saving snippets for JavaScript, making it easier to write common ES6 syntax.
Key Features:
- ES6 syntax snippets
- Quick imports and exports
- Comprehensive snippet collection
Demo: Using imp and imd snippets for quick imports.
Install: JavaScript (ES6) code snippets — Visual Studio Marketplace
9. Visual Studio IntelliCode
IntelliCode leverages AI to provide intelligent code completion suggestions based on the current code context. It enhances productivity by recommending commonly used methods and properties.
Key Features:
- AI-powered code suggestions
- Context-aware recommendations
- Support for multiple languages
Demo: IntelliCode suggesting relevant members after typing .
Install: IntelliCode — Visual Studio Marketplace
10. VSCode Icons
VSCode Icons is a popular icon pack extension that customizes the appearance of file and folder icons in VSCode, improving visual navigation and file differentiation.
Key Features:
- Extensive icon set
- File and folder differentiation
- Enhanced UI aesthetics
Install: vscode-icons — Visual Studio Marketplace
By integrating these extensions, JavaScript developers can significantly boost their productivity, maintain code quality, and enhance their overall development experience in Visual Studio Code.
