Visual Studio vs. Visual Studio Code

Attribute	Visual Studio	Visual Studio Code
Developed by	Microsoft	Microsoft
License	Proprietary	Open Source
Supported Languages	Multiple	Multiple
Extensions	Yes	Yes
IntelliSense	Yes	Yes
Debugger	Yes	Yes

Overview

Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code are two popular integrated development environments (IDEs) developed by Microsoft. While they share a similar name, they have distinct differences in terms of features, target audience, and use cases. In this article, we will compare the attributes of Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code to help developers choose the right tool for their projects.

Features

Visual Studio is a comprehensive IDE that offers a wide range of features for building desktop, web, and mobile applications. It provides advanced debugging tools, code refactoring capabilities, and integrated testing support. Visual Studio also includes built-in support for various programming languages such as C#, C++, and Python. On the other hand, Visual Studio Code is a lightweight code editor that focuses on simplicity and speed. It offers features like IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration, making it a popular choice among web developers and open-source contributors.

Customization

Visual Studio allows developers to customize the IDE by installing extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace. These extensions can add new features, tools, and language support to enhance the development experience. Visual Studio Code, on the other hand, is highly customizable out of the box. Users can easily change themes, key bindings, and settings to tailor the editor to their preferences. Additionally, Visual Studio Code supports a wide range of extensions that can be installed directly from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.

Performance

Visual Studio is a powerful IDE that offers a rich set of features, but it can be resource-intensive, especially when working on large projects. The startup time and memory usage of Visual Studio may be higher compared to Visual Studio Code. On the other hand, Visual Studio Code is known for its fast performance and low memory footprint. It is designed to be lightweight and responsive, making it a great choice for developers who value speed and efficiency in their workflow.

Platform Support

Visual Studio is primarily designed for Windows and offers a rich set of tools and features for building applications on the Microsoft platform. While Visual Studio does have versions for macOS and Linux, they may not have all the features available in the Windows version. Visual Studio Code, on the other hand, is a cross-platform editor that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides a consistent development experience across different operating systems, making it a versatile choice for developers working on multiple platforms.

Community and Support

Visual Studio has a large and active community of developers who contribute to the IDE through forums, blogs, and open-source projects. Microsoft provides official documentation, tutorials, and support resources for Visual Studio users. Visual Studio Code also has a vibrant community that actively develops extensions, themes, and plugins for the editor. The Visual Studio Code GitHub repository is open to contributions from the community, and users can report issues or suggest improvements through GitHub issues.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code are both powerful tools for developers, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Visual Studio is a feature-rich IDE that is well-suited for building complex applications on the Microsoft platform. Visual Studio Code, on the other hand, is a lightweight and versatile code editor that is ideal for web development and cross-platform projects. Ultimately, the choice between Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code depends on the specific requirements of the project and the preferences of the developer.