Introduction

As a long-time user of Visual Studio Code (VSCode), I’ve accumulated a vast array of extensions, settings, and files that have made my workspace cluttered and overwhelming. I found myself spending more time searching for files and navigating through menus than actually coding. It was time for a change.

In this blog post, I’ll share my experience of cleaning up and simplifying my VSCode workspace. I’ll discuss the steps I took to remove unused extensions, organize my files, customize settings, and use keyboard shortcuts and snippets to streamline my workflow. By the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of how to optimize your workspace and improve your coding experience. So, let’s dive in!

Extensions I Removed

• codecrumbs-vs-code - Never used it after the first few weeks of installing
• Codetour - Same as above
• Import Cost - I use Bundlephobia for this instead
• Playwright Test for VSCode - I use Playwright’s UI mode for this functionality now
• Polacode - I use ray.so instead now
• ReacTree - Seemed cool when I looked at it, but I’ve never had a use case for it
• Remove Non ASCII Chars - The linting tools I use already handles this

Status Bar Sections Removed

• Workspace Trust
• GitLens Commit Graph
• Problems
• Editor Selection
• Editor Indentation
• Editor Encoding
• Editor End of Line
• Editor Language Status
• Editor Language
• Prettier
• Feedback
• Notifications

Sidebar Icons Removed

After years of use, the sidebar in VSCode can become cluttered with icons, making it difficult to navigate and find what you need. To simplify my workspace, I recently removed the below sidebar icons:

• Run and Debug
• Extensions
• GitLab Workflow
• GitLens
• TODOs
• Bookmarks
• Accounts

Conclusion

In conclusion, by removing unused extensions, status bar sections, and sidebar icons, as well as organizing files, customizing settings, and using keyboard shortcuts and snippets, I was able to simplify my VSCode workspace and improve my coding experience. It’s important to regularly review and optimize your workspace to ensure that it remains efficient and clutter-free.