Visual Studio Code
Free, cross-platform code editor from Microsoft. Lightweight at its core but extended by a huge marketplace (linters, debuggers, language servers, AI assistants). Built-in Git integration and an integrated terminal make it a full development environment without the weight of a traditional IDE.
Links
Description
Visual Studio Code — official site
Download or use
Reasoning for
My primary editor for everything from quick edits to full projects. I use it for:
- First-class Git integration (diff, stage, commit, resolve conflicts inline).
- Integrated terminal — run builds, tests, and coding agents without leaving the window.
- Extensions for whatever stack I’m in (TypeScript, .NET, Tailwind, Markdown). It is also the base Cursor is built on, so muscle memory carries over.
Alternatives considered
- Cursor — VS Code fork with deeper AI baked in; I use it when I want agentic editing.
- Visual Studio — heavier full IDE, better for large .NET solutions.
- JetBrains (Rider/IntelliJ) — strongest refactoring, but heavier and paid.
Resources
- VS Code docs
- Pairs with Git and Claude Code for agent-assisted development.
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