10 VS Code Extensions That Save Me Hours Every Week

As a developer, these tools turbocharge my workflow—here's how they can help you too.

When I first started coding, I wasted hours on manual formatting, debugging, and repetitive tasks. Now, with the right VS Code extensions, I automate the tedious parts of my day and focus on what matters: building great software and solving data problems. Here are my top 10 picks (plus pro tips!) for saving time and sanity.

---

1. Prettier — Code Formatting on Autopilot

Why I love it: No more arguing about semicolons or indentation. Prettier automatically formats code on save, enforcing consistency across projects.

• Pro Tip: Pair it with .prettierrc to customize rules for JavaScript, Python, or YAML.

// .prettierrc  
{  
  "semi": false,  
  "singleQuote": true  
}

Time Saved: 1+ hour/week fighting style debates.

2. GitLens — Supercharge Git History

Why I love it: Blame annotations, commit history, and inline diffs right in your editor. Perfect for untangling "who broke what" without leaving VS Code.

Pro Tip: Use GitLens Compare to benchmark branches visually.

3. Thunder Client — REST API Testing Without Swagger

Why I love it: A lightweight Postman alternative. Test endpoints, debug headers, and save requests directly in your workspace.

Data Science Hack: Automate API data pulls for ML pipelines.

4. Python Indent — Fix Python's Indentation Hell

Why I love it: Automatically adjusts indentation when you paste code or hit enter. A lifesaver for Python devs and Jupyter notebook users.

5. Docker — Manage Containers Without the CLI

Why I love it: Build, run, and debug Docker containers from a sidebar GUI. I use this daily to spin up Postgres/Redis instances for testing.

Pro Tip: Right-click Dockerfiles to build images in one click.

6. Jupyter — Run Data Science Notebooks in VS Code

Why I love it: Edit and execute Jupyter notebooks with VS Code's native tools. I've ditched the browser for good!

Data Science Hack: Use # %% to split scripts into notebook-like cells.

7. TabNine — AI-Powered Code Completion

Why I love it: Beyond IntelliSense, TabNine predicts entire lines using ML. It's eerily good at suggesting data preprocessing snippets.

Pro Tip: Train it on your codebase for domain-specific magic.

8. Remote - SSH — Edit Code on Servers Directly

Why I love it: No more frantic scp transfers. Edit files on remote machines as if they're local. My go-to for quick fixes on production servers.

9. Live Share — Collaborative Coding in Real Time

Why I love it: Pair-program with teammates or debug together. Share terminals, servers, and even audio calls without leaving VS Code.

10. Todo Tree — Never Lose Track of TODOs

Why I love it: Aggregates all //TODO:, #FIXME, and custom tags into a searchable tree. I've reclaimed hours previously lost to code archaeology.

BONUS: My Secret Weapon — Snippet Creator

Create custom code snippets for repetitive tasks (e.g., React components, SQL templates). Here's how:

1. Open Preferences > User Snippets.
2. Define a prefix and boilerplate:

"React Component": {  
  "prefix": "rc",  
  "body": [  
    "function ${1:Component}() {",  
    "  return (",  
    "    <div>${2:content}</div>",  
    "  )",  
    "}"  
  ]  
}

Now type rc + Tab to generate a component skeleton!

Why This Matters

As developers and data scientists, time is our scarcest resource. By automating the small stuff, we free up energy for creative problem-solving—whether that's optimizing Node.js scripts or training ML models.

What's your favorite VS Code extension? Let me know in the comments!

Next Steps

• Check out my previous article on automating workflows with Node.js.
• Follow me for more tooling and productivity deep dives!