Based in Keith, Scotland · Working worldwide
ClassAntics
Tutorials /
Tools Wiki /

Code editor

Visual Studio Code

A code editor, often shortened to VS Code, with an Explorer sidebar and an integrated terminal.

What it is for

Edit lesson files and open a terminal in the project folder. Language SDKs are separate; installing VS Code does not install .NET, Java or SQL Server.

Install it

  1. Use the official VS Code download for your operating system. Our menu instructions below use Windows.
  2. For C# editing, Microsoft’s C# extension or C# Dev Kit can provide language support. Review extension requirements and licences before installing.

Official setup instructions ↗

Open it

  1. Open Start → Visual Studio Code.
  2. Choose File → Open Folder and select your practice folder. Open a file from the Explorer sidebar.
  3. For commands choose Terminal → New Terminal. Use the terminal profile menu to select PowerShell on Windows.

Check it is installed — then verify

Where · VS Code · editor

Open the named file from VS Code’s Explorer sidebar. Edit the file, not the terminal. Tool guide

Choose Help → About.

What you should see: The dialog identifies Visual Studio Code. It is not the Visual Studio Installer.

Try one small thing

Where · VS Code Terminal · PowerShell

VS Code → Terminal → New Terminal → PowerShell. Click inside the TERMINAL panel. Tool guide

In the bottom TERMINAL panel, select PowerShell and type:

Get-Location

What you should see: The output should be your practice folder. If it is not, open the correct folder before continuing.

If something looks different

  1. Text was pasted into a code file instead of the terminal: undo it in the editor, then click the TERMINAL panel.
  2. The bottom panel says Output or Debug Console: select TERMINAL before entering shell commands.
  3. The code command is unavailable: you can still open VS Code through Start → File → Open Folder.

Lessons using this tool

Some use it only for optional local practice. Each lesson explains what you actually need.

JavaScript · 36 lessons
C# · 61 lessons
Java · 41 lessons
React · 31 lessons
HTML · 16 lessons
CSS · 21 lessons
SOLID · 5 lessons
Design patterns · 23 lessons

Official help

Guide reviewed 2026-09-09. Menu labels can differ between versions.