VS Code Extensions I Actually Use

TIL
,

Extensions should remove repetitive work. Installing fifty of them to save three keystrokes is how an editor slowly becomes an operating system.

My shortlist

  1. Path Intellisense — completes file paths.
  2. vscode-icons — makes large project trees easier to scan.
  3. Indent Rainbow — highlights indentation levels.
  4. Markdown Preview Enhanced — useful for Markdown-heavy work.
  5. LeetCode — convenient when practising algorithm problems.
  6. Turbo Console Log — inserts structured debug logs quickly.

Extensions I removed

Bracket Pair Colorizer 2 is obsolete because VS Code now provides bracket-pair colorization natively. Enable it with:

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{
  "editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled": true,
  "editor.guides.bracketPairs": true
}

The rule is simple: prefer built-in functionality, review extension permissions, and remove extensions that duplicate features you no longer need. Fewer extensions mean faster startup, fewer conflicts, and fewer tiny supply-chain lotteries.