Microsoft launches web version of Visual Studio Code

On the Visual Studio Code website, Microsoft announced a web version of the Visual Studio Code IDE. Now users can access a lightweight version of a popular code editor without the need to download and install additional applications on their computers. To get started with Visual Studio Code for Web, navigate to vscode.dev in your preferred browser. Open a folder with your project and start coding. Microsoft does not even require a Microsoft Account to access vscode.dev.

Despite calling Visual Studio Code for Web a "lightweight" version, the IDE is quite a powerful tool. You can use it to view and edit local files, build client-side HTML, JavaScript, and CSS applications. That is possible even on devices unable to run Visual Studio Code natively, for example, Chromebooks or iPads. Also, if your browser does not support local file system APIs, you can upload individual files to work in Visual Studio Code for Web.

Microsoft says Visual Studio Code for Web provides the best experience for coding using "webby" languages, such as JSON, HTML, and CSS. In those scenarios, vscode.dev is nearly identical to the desktop, fully-fledged counterpart.

You can also get a solid user experience in TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python projects that run natively in a browser. Finally, vscode.dev supports "heavy" programming languages with some limitations. For example, the web-based IDE does not offer the terminal and debugger. You cannot compile, run, and debug applications.

Still, many existing tools and features work in vscode.dev, such as UI customization, themes, key mappings, snippets, and extensions. Moreover, you can roam various settings across devices.

Besides not requiring a Microsoft Account, the company does not limit users in their browser choice. Any modern browser on a supported platform should work with vscode.dev without issues.

You can read the full announcement in a blog post on the official website.