Quick Guide - CXO Academy

What is VS Code?

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open-source code editor created by Microsoft. It's the most popular code editor in the world, used by over 70% of professional developers.

Think of VS Code as your "digital workshop" — it's where you write, edit, and organize your code. It's like Microsoft Word, but for programming.

🎯 What You'll Learn

By the end of this guide, you will:

✅ Understand what VS Code is and why it's essential
✅ Have VS Code installed and running on your computer
✅ Know which extensions to install (and why)
✅ Create and save your first file
✅ Troubleshoot common problems

⏱️ Time to complete: ~20 minutes

🤔 Why Use VS Code?

Three Specific Use Cases

1. Learning to Code If you're just starting out, VS Code is perfect because:

It highlights syntax errors (like spell-check for code)
It auto-completes as you type
It's completely free
There are thousands of tutorials for it

2. Web Development If you're building websites:

Live preview of HTML/CSS changes
Built-in Git integration
Extensions for React, Vue, Angular
Integrated terminal for running commands

3. Professional Development For work projects:

Debug code directly in the editor
Work on remote files (SSH, containers)
Collaborate with Live Share
Customize everything to your workflow

VS Code vs Other Editors

| Feature | VS Code | Sublime Text | Notepad++ | vim | |---------|---------|--------------|-----------|-----| | Price | Free | $99 | Free | Free | | Extensions | 40,000+ | ~5,000 | ~100 | Many | | Learning Curve | Easy | Easy | Easy | Hard | | Built-in Terminal | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | | Git Integration | ✅ Yes | Plugin | ❌ No | Plugin |

Verdict: VS Code is the best choice for 95% of developers.

✅ Prerequisites Checklist

Before installing, make sure your computer meets these requirements:

Operating System Requirements

| OS | Minimum Version | Recommended | |----|-----------------|-------------| | Windows | Windows 10 | Windows 11 | | macOS | macOS 10.15 (Catalina) | macOS 14 (Sonoma) | | Linux | Ubuntu 18.04 / Debian 10 | Latest LTS |

Hardware Requirements

| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended | Why | |-------------|---------|-------------|-----| | RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB+ | Extensions use memory | | Storage | 500 MB free | 2 GB+ free | VS Code + extensions | | CPU | Any modern processor | Multi-core | Large files load faster | | Display | 1366x768 | 1920x1080+ | More screen = more code |

Access Requirements

[ ] Administrator access (needed to install software)
[ ] Internet connection (to download VS Code and extensions)
[ ] A web browser (to download the installer)

🔍 How to Check Your Computer

Windows

Press Windows Key + R
Type winver and press Enter
A window will show your Windows version

Check RAM:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
Click "Performance" tab → "Memory"
Look at "Installed RAM"

macOS

Click the Apple icon () in the top-left
Select "About This Mac"
You'll see your macOS version and memory

Linux (Ubuntu)

Open Terminal and run:

# Check Ubuntu version
lsb_release -a

# Check RAM
free -h

# Check disk space
df -h /

⚠️ Common Prerequisites Issues

"I don't have administrator access"

Solution:

Work computer: Contact your IT department and ask for installation privileges
Personal computer: You should already have admin access
Windows: Right-click the installer → "Run as administrator"

"My computer is too old"

VS Code runs on most computers from the last 10 years. If you're unsure:

Try installing anyway — it won't harm your computer
VS Code will warn you if it can't run

"I'm on a restricted network (work/school)"