Goodbye VS Code

Updated: 6/14/2024


Summary

I started using Sublime Text, then switched to Vim, customizing it extensively, but eventually felt it was a productivity drain. I moved to VS Code as it was widely used and supported at my job. While VS Code provided an excellent developer experience, my mindset shifted towards prioritizing shipping code and building products quickly over technical complexity. I wanted an editor that handled everything out-of-the-box without configuration. This led me to switch from VS Code to WebStorm, an IDE developed by JetBrains, designed to work seamlessly without customization. I've been using WebStorm for a month and plan to renew my subscription. WebStorm has native support for my tech stack (Next.js, Tailwind, and backend offerings), providing features like color previews and parameter definitions without any setup. However, I find its UI aesthetically underwhelming compared to Vim setups. WebStorm's git UI is more intuitive than VS Code's, and it highlights duplicated code fragments, encouraging better code hygiene. However, it can be overly opinionated, flagging practices like catching locally thrown errors, which I find unnecessary. Despite some annoyances, WebStorm's out-of-the-box functionality and focus on productivity have convinced me to switch from VS Code, prioritizing shipping code over technical intricacies.

Switching from VS Code to WebStorm

The video discusses the reasons for switching from VS Code to WebStorm, an IDE developed by JetBrains. The focus is on simplicity and out-of-the-box functionality, without the need for extensive customization or configuration.

WebStorm Features

The video highlights several features of WebStorm, including native support for technologies like Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and backend offerings like Supabase or Planetscale. It also showcases WebStorm's Git UI, code duplication detection, and code analysis capabilities.

Pros and Cons of WebStorm

The video discusses the pros of WebStorm, such as its out-of-the-box functionality and convenient features, as well as the cons, like its opinionated code analysis and perceived lack of aesthetic appeal compared to other editors.

Developer Productivity Focus

The video emphasizes the importance of developer productivity and shipping code quickly, rather than focusing on technical complexity or extensive customization. This mindset is the driving force behind the switch to WebStorm.


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FAQ

Q: What was the first text editor the speaker used?

The speaker first started off with Sublime Text.

Q: Why did the speaker switch from Vim to VS Code?

The speaker switched from Vim to VS Code because they spent more time customizing Vim than actually coding, which felt like a net negative in terms of developer productivity.

Q: What is the main reason the speaker switched from VS Code to WebStorm?

The speaker switched from VS Code to WebStorm because they wanted an editor that handles all the heavy lifting without having to think or configure anything.

Q: What are some features the speaker likes about WebStorm?

The speaker likes WebStorm's native Tailwind support, function parameter definitions, and Git UI.

Q: What are some things the speaker dislikes about WebStorm?

The speaker dislikes WebStorm's UI design, the 'Mario Kart Rainbow Road' color coding, and its opinionated code analysis warnings.