I. Introduction
This article covers the 7 most useful VS Code Extensions for Python Developers in 2024. These extensions will help improve coding speed, productivity, and overall developer health.
II. 7 Best VS Code Extensions For Python Developers
#1: Python Tools
This is the essential VS Code extension for Python, developed by Microsoft itself. While creating a .py file, VS Code will itself suggest installing this extension.
It provides features like analyzing code for potential errors, code formatting, debugging through a debug console, and testing with the unit test, pytest, and nose test frameworks.
This extension also does syntax checking, auto-completion, auto-activation, and switching between different environments. Moreover, it supports Jupyter Notebooks and is considered a fundamental and essential Python extension.
#2: Python Indent
Indentation! Ooh Indentation! Python development can become a huge problem if you get the indentation wrong. But that will not happen with this extension installed.
When you hit the enter button for the next line, it automatically gives an adequate number of spaces or tabs. This will save you a lot of productivity hours.
#3: Python Preview
This extension is used to preview the Python code in VS Code editor. It is very simple to use and makes debugging easy and fast.
It includes graphics and animations to make visualization exciting and make it easy to understand the status of our code.
#4: Python Snippets
Python Snippets extension is handy for beginners new to this language. It contains built-in snippets for lists, strings, dictionaries, tuples, classes, etc., with at least one example of each of them.
Furthermore, it avoids typing the code repeatedly by using its snippets directly.
#5: AREPL for Python
AREPL for Python provides code evaluation in real-time. As you start typing, the code will keep running as the extension checks whether the code is correct during the writing. If an error is found, it will be reflected in the editor instantly with logs.
Effectively, one doesn’t need to run the code; AREPL automatically evaluates it.
#6: Python Docstring Generator
Python Docstring Generator makes it easy to document Python code in VS Code and adhere to coding standards. This extension generates docstring for the Python functions, and you can select from different docstring formats for kwargs, args, errors, and decorators.
The generated docstring will be formatted according to the user’s requirements. In addition, it supports tabbed navigation, i.e., when a docstring is generated, you can tab through it to add arguments.
#7: GitHub Copilot
To close out this list, we have GitHub Copilot, a code completion extension powered by AI. Copilot has excellent support for modern programming languages, Python included.
Additionally, GitHub Copilot can be easily guided using comments as well as typing sections of the code and clicking the tab button to accept the GitHub Copilot suggestions. It can save developers lots of time with its accurate and lengthy code suggestions that you will not need to type anymore.
III. Conclusion
These are the 7 most useful VS Code extensions for Python Developers in 2024. Install them today and see your productivity levels shoot up.
For other programming language-specific VS Code extensions guides, have a look at the articles below.
