Welcome to Java on Visual Studio Code Update. In September, we launched a new VS Code installer called Coding Pack for Java. In this edition, we would like to focus on best practices of setting development environment. Regardless of whether you just want to explore or have already been using VS Code for projects or studies, we believe you all will benefit from these practices. Let’s start.
Your development environment
When use VS Code, the first thing you have to know is what your development environment consists of. For Java development, your environment consists of VS Code, extensions, and JDK. While VS Code provides you the best in class editing experience, more features are offered through extensions, for example, code completion, debugging, testing, building, project management, etc. VS Code has a broad ecosystem, where you can find all kinds of extensions to meet your specific needs. You can visit VS Code Marketplace to explore further.
Coding Pack for Java
To use VS Code for Java development, a very first thing is to set up your environment. Best practice #1: using Coding Pack for Java, if on Windows or MacOS, when set up for first time, upgrade, or even repair an existing environment. The pack will install VS Code, AdoptOpenJDK and Extension Pack, a collection of essential extensions recommended by Microsoft, and also configure them automatically. When installation completes, you immediately have an integrated environment for your Java projects. The pack supports incremental updates by checking your environment firstly and only installs required pieces.
