Before you write your first line of code, you need a working development environment. This guide walks you through installing Visual Studio Code (VS Code), setting up the most important extensions, and learning the basic terminal commands you’ll need every day as a developer.
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What is a development environment?
A development environment (an IDE or an editor plus tooling) is the software workbench where you write, test, and run code. At its core, you usually just need two things: a good code editor and a terminal for launching programs, managing files, and running tools. VS Code combines both in a single application, and it’s free, cross-platform, and by far the most widely used editor among developers worldwide.
Installing VS Code (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Installation is straightforward on every platform:
- Windows: Download the installer from code.visualstudio.com, run it, and leave the “Add to PATH” option checked during installation — this lets you launch VS Code from the terminal later.
- macOS: Download the ZIP file, drag VS Code into your Applications folder, then run the “Shell Command: Install ‘code’ command in PATH” command from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P).
- Linux: Download the .deb package (Debian/Ubuntu) or .rpm package (Fedora/RHEL) from the official site, or install it through your distribution’s package manager.
After installing, launch VS Code once to confirm everything works — an empty window with a sidebar on the left is what you should see.
The most important extensions for beginners
VS Code ships intentionally lean. Through the Extensions view (the four-square icon in the sidebar, or Ctrl+Shift+X), install exactly what you need:
- Prettier – Code formatter: Automatically formats your code to consistent rules, saving arguments about style.
- ESLint: Catches errors and style issues in JavaScript/TypeScript code before you even run it.
- Python (by Microsoft): Syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and debugging support for Python projects.
- GitLens: Shows right inside the editor who changed which line of code and when — handy once you start using Git.
- Live Server: Starts a local web server with automatic reload on every save — ideal for HTML/CSS beginners.
Only install what you actually need right now — too many active extensions unnecessarily slow down startup.
The terminal: what actually is it?
The terminal (also called the command line or shell) is a text-based interface to your operating system. Instead of clicking with a mouse, you type commands. It feels unfamiliar at first, but it’s essential for developers: installing programs, launching projects, processing files in bulk, version control with Git — most of this runs through the terminal in daily work. VS Code has a built-in terminal (menu “Terminal” > “New Terminal”, or Ctrl+`), so you never have to leave the editor to use the command line.
Basic terminal commands: cd, ls/dir, mkdir, and more
This handful of commands covers 90% of everyday use (Linux/macOS syntax, Windows differences in parentheses):
pwd— shows the current folder (Windows:cdwith no argument)ls— lists files and folders in the current directory (Windows:dir)cd foldername— moves into a subfolder (“change directory”)cd ..— moves up one levelmkdir new-folder— creates a new folder (“make directory”)touch file.txt— creates an empty file (Windows:type nul > file.txt)rm file.txt— deletes a file (Windows:del file.txt) — be careful, usually no recycle bin!clear— clears the terminal view (Windows:cls)
Tip: the Tab key auto-completes file and folder names — type the first few letters and press Tab instead of typing everything by hand.
Using VS Code and the terminal together
A typical workflow looks like this: open a project folder in VS Code (“File” > “Open Folder”), open the built-in terminal, which automatically starts in the right directory, and run commands there — for example running a Python script with python file.py, or starting a local web server with an extension like Live Server via a single click. This keeps your entire workflow in one window, with no switching between applications.
First steps: your first project
Try it yourself: from the terminal, create a new folder (mkdir my-first-project), move into it (cd my-first-project), open it in VS Code (code .), and create a file called index.html. Write some simple HTML in it, install the Live Server extension, and click “Go Live” in the bottom-right corner — your first local web project is now running in the browser, with automatic reload on every change.
Next steps
With your development environment set up, you’re ready for real code. If you’re still unsure which language to learn first, read our beginner comparison of programming languages. To get started with web development, we recommend our HTML basics and CSS basics series. And if you’re curious what actually happens behind the scenes when a web page loads, read How Does the Web Work? Browsers, Servers, and HTTP Explained Simply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which code editor should I use as a beginner?
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is the recommended choice for beginners: free, cross-platform, a huge extension library, and by far the largest community.
Do I really need to use the terminal?
Yes, in the long run the terminal is essential for installing software, managing projects, and version control with Git. But the basic commands only take a few minutes to learn.
Which VS Code extensions do I really need at the start?
Start minimal: Prettier for formatting and one language-specific extension (e.g. Python by Microsoft). Add more extensions as you actually need them.
What is the difference between a terminal and a command line?
In practice the terms are mostly used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, the terminal is the program window, and the shell (e.g. Bash or PowerShell) is the software that interprets your commands.
How do I start my first project in VS Code?
Create a folder via the terminal, open it in VS Code with the command code ., and create your first file, for example an index.html for a web project.
