# Visual Studio Code

> source code editor developed by Microsoft

**Wikidata**: [Q19841877](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19841877)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_Studio_Code)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/visual-studio-code

## Summary
Visual Studio Code is a source code editor developed by Microsoft. First released on November 14, 2015, it's a cross-platform editor based on the Electron framework and written primarily in TypeScript.

## Key Facts
- Visual Studio Code is a source code editor developed by Microsoft, first released on November 14, 2015.
- It is based on the Electron framework and written primarily in TypeScript.
- Available for multiple platforms: Linux, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.
- Source code licensed under the MIT License while software package uses a proprietary license.
- Supports numerous programming languages including TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, PHP, and Go.
- Has an active social media presence with verified Twitter account (@code) and YouTube channel.
- Official website is https://code.visualstudio.com.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Visual Studio Code used for?
A: Visual Studio Code is a source code editor used for writing and debugging code in various programming languages. It provides features like syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging, and extensions to enhance the development experience.

### Q: Is Visual Studio Code free to use?
A: Yes, Visual Studio Code is free to use. The source code is licensed under the MIT License, and the software can be downloaded and used without cost. However, the software package uses a proprietary license.

### Q: How does Visual Studio Code compare to Visual Studio?
A: Visual Studio Code is a lightweight source code editor while Visual Studio is a full-featured integrated development environment (IDE). Visual Studio Code is designed for quick editing and development, whereas Visual Studio offers more comprehensive tools for complex projects.

## Why It Matters
Visual Studio Code has become one of the most popular code editors since its release in 2015, revolutionizing how developers write code with its lightweight design yet powerful features. Its cross-platform nature allows developers to work seamlessly across different operating systems, while its extensive extension ecosystem enables customization for virtually any programming language or workflow. The editor's integration with GitHub and other Microsoft services makes it particularly valuable for modern collaborative development environments, influencing the entire code editor market and leading to better tools for developers worldwide.

## Notable For
- Being developed by Microsoft as a free, open-source alternative to their proprietary Visual Studio IDE
- Its use of the Electron framework, allowing it to run as a desktop application across multiple platforms with consistent functionality
- The extensibility through its rich marketplace of extensions, allowing customization for virtually any programming language
- Its integration with Git and GitHub, providing seamless version control functionality within the editor
- The large, active community that contributes to its development, documentation, and extension ecosystem

## Body
### Overview
Visual Studio Code is a source code editor developed by Microsoft, designed to be lightweight yet powerful. It supports multiple programming languages and platforms, with its core functionality extendable through a marketplace of extensions.

### Technical Foundation
- Built on the Electron framework, enabling cross-platform compatibility
- Written primarily in TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript that compiles to JavaScript
- Uses gulp.js as its build system
- Source code available on GitHub under the MIT License
- Binary distribution uses a proprietary license
- Supports debugging as a core feature

### Version History
- Version 1.9 released on February 2, 2017
- Version 1.11.2 (stable) released on April 13, 2017
- Version 1.14.0 released on July 11, 2017
- Version 1.15.1 released on August 16, 2017
- Version 1.17 (stable) released on October 4, 2017
- Version 1.18.0 (stable) released on November 8, 2017

### Platform Support
- Linux (various distributions including Arch Linux package "code")
- Microsoft Windows
- macOS
- Available through package managers like Chocolatey, Snap, and APT

### Community and Integration
- Has an active subreddit (r/vscode) since April 30, 2015
- Verified Twitter account (@code) since April 22, 2015
- YouTube channel with community updates
- Stack Exchange tag for community Q&A
- Used by VSCodium, a community fork

### Licensing
- Source code licensed under the MIT License
- Software package distributed under a proprietary license
- Open source repository available at https://github.com/microsoft/vscode
- Different licensing terms apply to the source code versus the software package

## References

1. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_17)
2. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_18)
3. [The Icon Journey. 2017](https://code.visualstudio.com/blogs/2017/10/24/theicon)
4. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_35#_updated-visual-studio-code-icon)
5. [Free Software Directory](https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Visual_Studio_Code)
6. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/60#issuecomment-161792005)
7. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode)
8. [The vscode Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/vscode/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
9. [January 2017 (version 1.9)](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_9)
10. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_12)
11. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.12.0)
12. [Source](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.14.0)
13. [Release 1.14.0. 2017](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.14.0)
14. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_15)
15. [Release 1.15.1. 2017](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.15.1)
16. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_16)
17. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.17.0)
18. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.17.1)
19. [Release 1.17.1. 2017](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.17.1)
20. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.17.2)
21. [Release 1.17.2. 2017](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.17.2)
22. [Source](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.18.0)
23. [Release 1.18.0. 2017](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.18.0)
24. [Release 1.11.2. 2017](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.11.2)
25. [Release 1.11.2. 2017](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.11.2)
26. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_19)
27. [November 2017 (version 1.19)](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_19)
28. [Release 1.19.3. 2018](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/v1.19.3)
29. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_21)
30. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_22)
31. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_23)
32. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_24)
33. [Release 1.24.1. 2018](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.24.1)
34. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_25)
35. [Visual Studio Code August 2018](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_27)
36. [Visual Studio Code November 2018. 2018](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_30)
37. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_31)
38. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_32)
39. [Source](https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_33)
40. [Release 0.10.1. 2015](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.1)
41. [Release 0.10.2. 2015](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.2)
42. [Release 0.10.3. 2015](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.3)
43. [Release 0.10.5. 2015](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.5)
44. [Release 0.10.6. 2015](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.6)
45. [Release 0.10.8. 2016](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.8)
46. [Release 0.10.9. 2016](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.9)
47. [Release 0.10.10. 2016](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.10)
48. [Release 0.10.11. 2016](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/0.10.11)
49. [Release 1.0.0. 2016](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.0.0)
50. [Release 1.1.0. 2016](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/releases/tag/1.1.0)