01. VS Code Setup for .NET Development

Level: Beginner

ℹ️ What You'll Learn

• Install VS Code lightweight editor
• Essential C# and .NET extensions
• Configure for .NET debugging
• Built-in terminal for CLI commands
• Git integration and REST testing
• Set up SMS project in VS Code

The Problem

Visual Studio is powerful but heavy (5GB). VS Code is lightweight, fast, and extensible. Many .NET developers use VS Code for quick edits, API testing, Git management, and CLI work. You should know both tools.

Install VS Code

Download from: https://code.visualstudio.com

Install and open.

Essential Extensions

Press Ctrl + Shift + X (Extensions):

Search and install:

C# Development:

• C# (OmniSharp)
• C# Extensions
• .NET Extension Pack

Productivity:

• Git Graph
• REST Client
• SQL Server (mssql)
• Prettier

Debugging:

• Debugger for .NET

Install all. Reload VS Code.

Configure C#

Create .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "omnisharp.enableEditorConfigSupport": true,
  "omnisharp.enableAnalyzersSupport": true,
  "omnisharp.enableRoslynAnalyzers": true,
  "[csharp]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-dotnettools.csharp",
    "editor.formatOnSave": true
  }
}

Auto-format on save.

Open Project Folder

File → Open Folder → SMS (project root)

VS Code detects C# project.

Integrated Terminal

Ctrl + ` (backtick) opens terminal:

dotnet build
dotnet run
dotnet test

Terminal in editor window.

Debug Setup

Create .vscode/launch.json:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": ".NET Core",
      "type": "coreclr",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/bin/Debug/net8.0/SMS.dll",
      "args": [],
      "stopAtEntry": false,
      "console": "integratedTerminal"
    }
  ]
}

Click Run (or F5) to debug.

Key Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + K, Ctrl + C	Comment
Ctrl + Shift + P	Command Palette
Ctrl + /	Toggle comment
Alt + Up/Down	Move line
F5	Debug
`Ctrl + ``	Terminal

SMS Project in VS Code

SMS/
├── src/
│   ├── SMS.Core/
│   ├── SMS.Data/
│   └── SMS.Api/
├── tests/
├── .vscode/
│   ├── settings.json
│   └── launch.json
└── SMS.sln

Lightweight, productive development.

Key Takeaways

• VS Code = lightweight editor
• Extensions = add .NET support
• Terminal = run commands
• Debug = step through code

💡 VS Code Tip

Use REST Client extension to test APIs without Postman.

🤖Use AI to Learn Faster

Use ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot to go deeper on VS Code Setup. Try these prompts:

• "What extensions do I need for C#?"
• "How do I debug in VS Code?"
• "How do I run dotnet commands?"
• "Quiz me on VS Code"

💡 Tip: After reading this article, paste your own code into AI and ask "What could go wrong here and why?" — fastest way to find edge cases and deepen understanding.