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How to Download and Use VS Code for HTML: A Step-by-Step Guide

Aryan

• 3 min read
How to Download and Use VS Code for HTML: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

In our previous blog, "Getting Started with HTML: A Beginner's Guide," we introduced the basics of HTML and how to begin your journey in web development. Now, let's dive deeper into setting up a powerful code editor to enhance your HTML development experience. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a favorite among developers due to its rich features, flexibility, and ease of use. This guide will help you download, install, and set up VS Code specifically for HTML development.

Step 1: Downloading VS Code

  1. Visit the VS Code Website:
  1. Choose Your Operating System:
    • Select the version of VS Code compatible with your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
  1. Download the Installer:
    • Click the appropriate download button to get the installer for your OS.

Step 2: Installing VS Code

For Windows:

  1. Run the Installer:
    • Locate the downloaded installer file (usually in your Downloads folder) and double-click to run it.
  2. Accept the Agreement:
    • Read the license agreement and click "I accept the agreement" if you agree.
  3. Select Destination Location:
    • Choose the destination folder for the installation or use the default location.
  4. Select Additional Tasks:
    • You can choose to add VS Code to your PATH (recommended) and create desktop icons.
  5. Install:
    • Click "Install" and wait for the installation to complete.
  6. Launch VS Code:
    • Check the option to launch VS Code after installation and click "Finish".

For macOS:

  1. Open the Downloaded File:
    • Locate the downloaded .zip file and double-click to unzip it.
  2. Move to Applications Folder:
    • Drag the unzipped VS Code application to your Applications folder.
  3. Open VS Code:
    • Go to your Applications folder and double-click on Visual Studio Code to open it.

For Linux:

  1. Install Using Package Manager:
    • Depending on your distribution, you can use the following commands:
      • Debian-based (Ubuntu):
sudo apt install ./<file>.deb

·        Red Hat-based (Fedora, CentOS):

sudo rpm -i <file>.rpm
  1. Launch VS Code:
    • Open your application menu and find Visual Studio Code to launch it.

Step 3: Setting Up VS Code for HTML

  1. Install HTML Extension:
    • Open VS Code and click on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window (or press Ctrl+Shift+X).
    • In the search bar, type "HTML" and install the recommended extensions like "HTML Snippets" or "HTML Boilerplate".
  2. Create a New HTML File:
    • Click on "File" > "New File" or use the shortcut Ctrl+N (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+N (macOS).
    • Save the new file with a .html extension (e.g., index.html) by clicking "File" > "Save As" and typing the desired name.
  3. Start Coding:
    • Begin writing your HTML code in the newly created file. VS Code will automatically recognize the file as HTML and provide syntax highlighting and autocomplete features.

Step 4: Using VS Code Features for HTML Development

  1. Emmet Abbreviations:
    • Emmet is built into VS Code and provides shortcuts for writing HTML. For example, typing ! and pressing Tab will generate a basic HTML boilerplate.
  2. Live Server Extension:
    • Install the "Live Server" extension by Ritwick Dey from the Extensions view.
    • After installation, right-click on your HTML file and select "Open with Live Server" to launch a local development server. This will open your HTML file in a browser and automatically refresh it when you make changes.
  3. Integrated Terminal:
    • Use the integrated terminal in VS Code by clicking "View" > "Terminal" or pressing Ctrl+` (backtick). This allows you to run commands without leaving the editor.
  4. IntelliSense:
    • VS Code provides IntelliSense for HTML, which includes auto-completion of tags, attributes, and attribute values.
  5. Linting and Formatting:
    • Install extensions like "Prettier" or "ESLint" for consistent code formatting and linting.
    • Configure settings for these extensions by going to "File" > "Preferences" > "Settings" and searching for the extension's configuration options.

Conclusion

By setting up VS Code as your HTML development environment, you gain access to a robust set of tools that can significantly improve your coding efficiency and experience. Follow the steps in this guide to get started, and refer back to "Getting Started with HTML: A Beginner's Guide" for foundational knowledge.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll dive deeper into HTML.

 Happy coding

Author: Aryan Kumar is a web developer specializing in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, working at Asecurity. Contact here (Instagram) : @aryan_geek .

#webdevelopment #html #css #javascript