Visual Studio Code has solidified its place as the go-to editor for millions of developers, largely thanks to its incredible ecosystem of extensions. For front-end developers, the correct set of tools can dramatically improve code quality, consistency, and overall development speed. Here are five essential VS Code extensions that you should be using in 2025 to supercharge your workflow.
1. Prettier – Code formatter
What it does
Prettier, a unique code formatter, enforces a consistent style by parsing your code and reformatting it according to its own rules. It takes care of line length, wrapping, and quote style, ensuring that every file in your project has the same formatting. On the other hand, ESLint, a pluggable and configurable linter tool, focuses on code quality. It identifies and reports patterns in JavaScript, helping you find and fix problems, from potential bugs to stylistic errors.
Pros
- Effortless Consistency: Ends all debates about code style within a team.
- Integrates Everywhere: Works with most front-end languages and frameworks, including JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX, CSS, and JSON.
- Automated Formatting: Can be configured to format your code automatically on save.
Cons
- Opinionated: Offers very few configuration options by design. If you don’t like its style, you’re mostly out of luck.
Installation Tip
After installing, open your VS Code settings (JSON) and add the following lines to enable format on save:
“[javascript]”: {
“editor.defaultFormatter”: “esbenp.prettier-vscode”,
“editor.formatOnSave”: true
}
2. ESLint
What it does
While Prettier handles formatting, ESLint focuses on code quality. It’s a pluggable and configurable linter tool for identifying and reporting patterns in JavaScript, helping you find and fix problems, from potential bugs to stylistic errors.
Pros
- Finds Bugs Early: Catches common errors like using variables before they are defined or creating potential memory leaks.
- Highly Configurable: You can define your own linting rules or use popular style guides like those from Airbnb or Google.
- Auto-Fixable: Many rules can be automatically fixed by ESLint, saving you time and effort.
Cons
- Initial Setup: Configuring a new project can be complex, especially when integrating with Prettier to avoid rule conflicts.
Installation Tip
Use the eslint-config-prettier package in your project to turn off all ESLint rules that are unnecessary or might conflict with Prettier.
3. Live Server
What it does
A simple but indispensable tool. Live Server launches a local development server with a live reload feature for your static and dynamic pages. When you save a change in your HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, the browser automatically refreshes.
Pros
- Instant Feedback: See your changes in real time without manually hitting the refresh button.
- Zero Configuration: Click the “Go Live” button in the status bar to start.
Cons
- Limited Use Cases: Primarily for simple HTML/CSS/JS projects. Modern frameworks, such as React or Vue, have their own more powerful hot-reloading development servers.
Installation Tip
Right-click any .html file in the explorer and select “Open with Live Server” for a quick start.
4. Auto Rename Tag
What it does
A quality-of-life extension that does exactly what its name says: when you rename an opening HTML or XML tag, it automatically renames the corresponding closing tag.
Pros
- Saves Time: Eliminates the tedious task of finding and renaming closing tags, especially in deeply nested structures.
- Prevents Errors: Reduces the chance of creating invalid markup by forgetting to update a closing tag.
Cons
- Occasional Glitches: It can sometimes be buggy with complex frameworks like Vue or Svelte, but it works perfectly for HTML and JSX most of the time.
Installation Tip
This extension works out of the box. Just install it and start editing your tags.
5. Peacock
What it does
When you have multiple VS Code windows open, it can be hard to tell them apart. Peacock, a unique tool, solves this by subtly changing the color of your workspace. This visual aid is perfect for quickly identifying which project you’re in, making it a valuable tool for managing multiple VS Code windows.
Pros
- Improves Context Switching: Instantly know which project window you’re switching to based on its color.
- Lightweight and straightforward: Adds a splash of color without impacting performance.
Cons
- None. It’s a simple tool that does its job perfectly.
Installation Tip
After installing, open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and type “Peacock.” You’ll see commands like “Change to a Favorite Color” to get started.
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