I keep saying this, but VS Code is barely an IDE now. He feels more like an open source platformalmost like an operating system. You can do much more with Visual Studio Code than just write code. You can make it a single workspace for notes, tasks, and code without forcing it to become something it’s not.
The editor already has solid basics and the right extensions can turn it into a comprehensive platform for the things you usually do. The suite I keep coming back to includes Markdown All in One and Foam for notes, Todo Tree and Better Comments for tasks, and GitLens with Prettier for code. Each of them does a job well and together they cover writing, tracking and building without overlap.
VS Code is a pretty capable note taker
Thanks to Markdown All in One
Markdown All in One and Foam turn VS Code into a usable notes system without trying to imitate a full-fledged note-taking app. Markdown All in One fills the gaps in VS Code’s built-in Markdown support. VS Code can preview Markdown files out of the box, but this extension makes writing them faster.
Adds keyboard shortcuts, automatic generation of tables of contents, list editing tools, and support for GitHub-flavored Markdown. The table of contents automatically updates when you save, which is really helpful when your notes start to get long.
Markdown All in One allows you to treat Markdown files as live documents instead of static nodes. You can create wireframes, maintain documentation, and keep everything version controlled without leaving the editor. The experience is much closer to writing code than using a notes app, which is helpful if your work is already in VS Code.
The foam accumulates on top of all this. It turns your Markdown files into a connected knowledge base, which you can use to create wiki-style links between notes, create a graph of ideas, and move through them the same way you would in tools like Obsidian. Foam itself recommends using Markdown All in One along with tools like Prettier for formatting, which shows how these pieces should work together.
Tasks are also handled well
Using Todo Tree and better comments
Todo Tree and Better Comments handle tasks in a way that fits naturally with your code and notes. Todo Tree scans your workspace for tags like TODO, FIXME, and BUG and compiles them into a single tree view. You can click on any element and jump directly to the line where it is located. Under the hood, it uses quick search tools to scan your files, keeping you running quickly even on large projects.
Tasks tend to spread out. You leave reminders in comments, you write things down in notes, and you forget where you put them. Todo Tree brings all that together in one place without forcing you to adopt a separate task manager. It works across languages and file types, so the same system applies whether you’re writing Markdown or code. It also supports custom tags, so you can define your own categories beyond the default ones.
Better Comments complements this by making those labels readable. Highlights comments based on their type, so EVERYTHING looks different from a warning or a question. You can assign styles such as alerts, queries, or highlights, making it easier to scan a file when it’s full of annotations.
GitLens and Prettier bring things together
They solve two parts of coding that tend to slow things down
GitLens and Prettier cover two parts of coding that tend to slow things down: understanding history and maintaining code consistency. GitLens extends the Git features built into VS Code. Its most visible feature is blame annotations, which show who last changed a line of code and when. You can trace a line back to a commit, open the history, and view the entire change without leaving the editor.
It also adds tools like commit charts and repository navigation, making it easier to explore a project over time. Instead of running Git commands in a terminal, you can cycle through changes visually.
Pretty handles the format. Adds consistent styling throughout your code base automatically. Once set up, it formats files when you save them, so you don’t waste time adjusting indentation, spacing, or line breaks. It helps keep your code clean, which is helpful when you’re working with other people or reviewing past projects.
There is also a connection with the notes settings. When your notes, tasks, and code are in the same editor, GitLens can track changes across all of them. Your Markdown files have history, your task comments have history, and your code has history. Everything becomes part of the same timeline.
