A Guide to Beautifying Visual Studio Code
If you like the look of your code, you’ll probably enjoy writing it more
‘Why do people pay more for a room with a good view?’ a friend asked me recently. ‘I don’t care what’s outside my window. Looking out on a natural landscape brings me no more joy than looking out on a dirty brick wall.’
The pragmatists among you might feel about the software you use to write code. Visual Studio Code is a practical tool, after all, so who cares if — visually — it is the software equivalent of a dirty brick wall?
Well, I do. In the same way that working a nice place makes me feel more production, if I enjoy the look of my code, I also enjoy writing it, editing it and painstakingly debugging it. If visuals are important to you too, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will guide you through a handful of the best themes, extensions and settings VS Code has to offer. (And if your favourite aesthetic extension is missing from this list, let me know in the comments!)
Contents
Ligatures
Matching Bracket Colours
ESLint, Prettier and Beautify
In-Built Settings
— Breadcrumbs
— Line Wrapping
My Top 5 Themes
— Ayu One Dark Pro
— Night Owl
— Material
— Monokai Pro
— Atom One Dark
My Top 5 Icon Themes
— City Lights
—…
