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# Introduction
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has countless extensions. While Copilot gets most of the attention, much of daily productivity comes from simpler, non-AI tools. Here are five extensions that developers consistently rely on.
# 1. Prettier
Prettier is a popular code formatter. It automatically formats your code when you save. That is it — no more team arguments about style. Your code looks clean and consistent. Works with JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, CSS, HTML, Markdown, and more. You can also configure it with a .prettierrc file or in VS Code settings.
# 2. Better Comments
Better Comments makes your comments easier to see by color-coding them. Instead of plain gray comments, you can mark them as TODO, FIXME, questions, warnings, and more. This helps you spot important notes quickly, especially in large files. It is simple but works well across many languages.
# 3. Git Graph
Git Graph shows your Git history as a visual graph inside VS Code. You can see all your commits, branches, merges, and tags. Click around, see diffs, and check details. No terminal is needed. You can even do merges and checkouts from the graph itself — a significantly more efficient workflow than typing commands all day.
# 4. Thunder Client
Thunder Client is a lightweight application programming interface (API) client built into VS Code. It works like Postman, but you do not have to leave your editor. You can create HTTP requests, set headers, parameters, and authentication. You can organize them into collections and test responses. It is useful for developing and debugging APIs right where you write code.
# 5. TODO Tree
TODO Tree finds all your TODO, FIXME, and NOTE comments across your project. It scans everything and shows them in a tree. Click one, and it jumps you right to the specific code location. No more hunting through files. Simple and effective, you will likely use it constantly.
# Wrapping Up
You do not need advanced AI tools to be productive. Sometimes simple extensions are enough. If you want to improve VS Code without Copilot, these five extensions are a great place to start.
Kanwal Mehreen is a machine learning engineer and a technical writer with a profound passion for data science and the intersection of AI with medicine. She co-authored the ebook “Maximizing Productivity with ChatGPT”. As a Google Generation Scholar 2022 for APAC, she champions diversity and academic excellence. She’s also recognized as a Teradata Diversity in Tech Scholar, Mitacs Globalink Research Scholar, and Harvard WeCode Scholar. Kanwal is an ardent advocate for change, having founded FEMCodes to empower women in STEM fields.
