How to Install Visual Studio Code

How to Install Visual Studio Code

In this article, we'll showcase how to install Visual Studio Code (VSC), an ultra popular code editor that can be used for a wide variety of coding languages (including Python, web development languages, C#, C++, and more).

Installing VSC

1. Navigate to the VSC page at https://code.visualstudio.com/ and select the big blue download button (your OS should be automatically selected).


2. Once the download completes, you can install Visual Studio Code. The steps for this differ slightly depending on if you're using Windows or MacOS.

Windows Installation

For Windows users, you'll need to open the installation wizard and run through the installation prompts. We recommend leaving everything with the default properties, but you can customize the installation where you feel comfortable doing so.

Mac Installation

For Mac users, you must double-click the downloaded file to uncompress it. This will automatically install the .app file, which you should drag into your Applications folder.

3. After installation, you can launch VSC to start using it.



About Extensions

In order to use VSC properly with any language, you will need to download that language's extension to access various support features. To access the extensions:

1. From the left-hand side menu, click the four stacked boxes to open the VSC Extensions page.


2. Use the search bar to locate a specific extension required for whatever language you want to develop with (Python, C++, HTML/CSS, etc.). Once you locate the extension, simply click on it to view more information about it.



3. On the Extension page, hit the Install button to install the extension.



Once the extension installs, you should be ready to start developing. Please note, though, that some extensions (like C++) may require further configurations.

    • Related Articles

    • How to Install MonoGame

      This article will cover how to set up the MonoGame framework for game development. MonoGame recommends using Visual Studio Community for development - the setup of which is covered in this article. You can, however, use other code editors like Visual ...

    • How to Install Rust

      This article will briefly cover how to set up Rust for Rust-based projects. Installing Rust 1. Head to the Rust installation page at https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install 2. The page should automatically detect your operating system and present you ...

    • How to Install Python

      If you intend to use our Python courses with a code editor like Python's built-in IDLE editor, Visual Studio Code, Anaconda, Spyder, or something else, you will need to first install the Python runtime to your local computer. This short article will ...

    • How to Install Unity

      This article will cover both how to install Unity for the first time, and how to install new versions of Unity for pre-existing installations. Before installation you may wish to review Unity's system requirements. First Time Installation Only - ...

    • How to Install Roblox Studio

      In this article, we'll discuss how to install Roblox Studio, the required platform to make Roblox games. Before beginning, you may wish to review the system requirements for Roblox Studio. Installing Roblox Studio 1. Head to the Roblox Studio website ...