What is Visual Studio Code for the Web?
Imagine you're traveling and don't have access to your normal work machine. However, there's a code issue that needs to be fixed, and it can't wait. Wouldn't it be great to have a solution that enables you to make changes while you're on-the-go?
Visual Studio Code for the Web
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for the Web provides a browser-based experience for navigating files and repositories and committing lightweight code changes. It's a free, zero-install VS Code experience running entirely in your browser. Because it runs in the browser, you can use VS Code for the Web on any device with a compatible browser – even a tablet or a smartphone!
The VS Code for the Web experience has many similarities with VS Code Desktop, including search and syntax highlighting while browsing and editing code. There's also extension support to work on your codebase and make simpler edits. In addition to opening repositories and pull requests from source control providers like GitHub and Azure Repos, you can also work with code that is stored on your local machine.
To get started, go to https://vscode.dev in your browser.
Extensions and custom URLs
You can customize VS Code for the Web by installing extensions. Extensions let you add languages, debuggers, and tools to your editor to support your development workflow.
There are also several vscode.dev custom URLs that provide a VS Code for the Web experience with certain extensions preinstalled for you. These custom URLs provide a quick way to access an already-customized editor. For example, navigating to https://vscode.dev/edu/makecode brings you to the browser-based editor with the Microsoft MakeCode Arcade extension already installed, allowing you to get started using MakeCode in just a few moments!
Limitations
Since VS Code for the Web runs completely within the browser, there are some limitations. It's recommended to move your work to VS Code Desktop, GitHub Codespaces, or Remote - Tunnels for the full capabilities of VS Code if you have the following requirements:
- You need to run, build, or debug your code.
- You want to use platform features, such as a terminal.
- You want to run extensions that aren't supported in the web.
In the next section, you'll get started with VS Code for the Web by navigating to https://vscode.dev and installing an extension.