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# Introduction
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) it has countless extensions. While Copilot gets a lot of attention, most of the day-to-day productivity comes from simple, non-AI tools. Here are five extensions that developers rely on regularly.
# 1. He is beautiful
He is beautiful is a popular code format. It automatically formats your code when you save. That's it – no more team fights about style. Your code looks clean and consistent. Works with JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, CSS, HTML, Markdown, and more. You can also fix it with a .prettierrc file or in VS Code settings.
# 2. Better Comments
Better Comments make your comments easy to see by color coding them. Instead of the obvious gray comments, you can mark them as TODO, FIXME, questions, warnings, and more. This helps you see important notes quickly, especially in large files. It's simple but works well across most languages.
# 3. The Git graph
The Git graph displays your Git history as a visual graph within VS Code. You can see all your commits, branches, merges, and tags. Click around, see the differences, and check out the details. No terminal is required. You can even compile and pay from the graph itself – a much more efficient workflow than typing commands all day.
# 4. Client Popularity
Thunder Client is a lightweight application programming interface (API) client built into VS Code. It works like Postman, but you don't have to leave your editor. You can create HTTP requests, set headers, parameters, and authentication. You can organize them into groups and test answers. It is useful for developing and debugging APIs where you write code.
# 5. The TODO tree
The TODO tree finds all your TODO, FIXME, and NOTE comments for your entire project. It scans everything and displays them in a tree. Click on one, and it jumps directly to a specific area of the code. No more hunting through files. It's simple and effective, you'll probably use it often.
# Wrapping up
You don't need advanced AI tools to be productive. Sometimes simple extensions are enough. If you want to develop VS Code without Copilot, these five extensions are a good place to start.
Kanwal Mehreen is a machine learning engineer and technical writer with a deep passion for data science and the intersection of AI and medicine. He co-authored the ebook “Increasing Productivity with ChatGPT”. As a Google Generation Scholar 2022 for APAC, he strives for diversity and academic excellence. He has also been recognized as a Teradata Diversity in Tech Scholar, a Mitacs Globalink Research Scholar, and a Harvard WeCode Scholar. Kanwal is a passionate advocate for change, having founded FEMCodes to empower women in STEM fields.
