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VS Code, for better or for worse, has evolved into something like an operating system or programming language VM, capable of running apps (extensions) which do

VS Code, for better or for worse, has evolved into something like an operating system or programming language VM, capable of running apps (extensions) which do useful things while only interacting with the VS Code extension API. This allows one to use such "apps" without installing VS Code. Theoretically, one could run code in vscode.dev if an extension provides a programming language runtime. I'm not sure if there are any extensions which do this yet. It is interesting to think about how many general-purpose VM-like abstraction layers are sitting on top of each other to run this — the operating system provides an interface which the browser uses, the browser provides an interface which vscode.dev uses, vscode.dev provides an interface which an extension implementing a programming language runtime uses, and the program uses the runtime interface. Github Codespaces has the downside that you need to connect to a cloud computer and do all your development remotely on the cloud computer, which causes issues such as lag, the need to pay money for the service, inability to use it without an internet connection, etc. This provides the benefits (however small) of a development environment running in the browser without those downsides.

sdesol 3y ago
> VS Code, for better or for worse, has evolved into something like an operating system Microsoft fully understands how valuable VS Code is and they are doing everything they can to keep developers interested, which is shaping its evolution. I have yet to find another open source project that has the same community involvement as vscode (https://devboard.gitsense.com/microsoft/vscode https://devboard.gitsense.com/microsoft/vscode). The closes that I have found is vercel's next.js https://devboard.gitsense.com/vercel/next.js https://devboard.gitsense.com/vercel/next.js Full Disclosure: This is my tool
- Zambyte 3y ago
  > I have yet to find another open source project that has the same community involvement as vscode Emacs. I mention this specifically because it's clear that VS Code is heavily inspired by Emacs in all the ways that you describe.
  - Barrin92 3y ago
    VsCode is basically Javascript-Emacs but people really react with something between bother and disgust to that comparison. The extensibility on top of a very generic core has even encouraged a lot of comparable extensions. Like Roam/Org clones that basically function like org-mode or bespoke git clients. VsCode is very quickly becoming a platform for software.
    - hollerith 3y ago
      That might be true, but I found it easy 30 years ago to learn how to modify Emacs, but spent 100s of hours trying to learn how to exert a similar level of control over VSCode, and never saw any significant signs I was getting close to my goal. Profession web developers might have a different experience.
      - bitwize 3y ago
        I agree with you that extending Visual Studio Code is a quite different experience, more akin to pulling teeth or writing COM controls in C++ in the 90s than to extending Emacs, which can be done live in your editing session as you work. But. Seventy-five percent of developers use Visual Studio Code, with most of the rest being vim, neovim, or JetBrains holdouts. All of the brainpower for extensions and tooling integration is going into Visual Studio Code, not Emacs. Soon, Emacs will simply be left behind.
        sdesol 3y ago
        I'm definitely one of those vim holdouts, even though vscode vim support is pretty good. If vscode ever supports ctrl-z to jump into a full terminal and fg to jump back into editor mode, then I'll definitely convert.
        orangea 3y ago
        VS Code certainly can be configured to have a keyboard shortcut to switch to a terminal and another shortcut to switch back and/or close the terminal. In fact probably every popular editor with a built-in terminal can do that.
- croes 3y ago
  And just like Google and Chrome this will end up bad.
deleted 3y ago
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sdesol 3y ago

> VS Code, for better or for worse, has evolved into something like an operating system Microsoft fully understands how valuable VS Code is and they are doing everything they can to keep developers interested, which is shaping its evolution. I have yet to find another open source project that has the same community involvement as vscode (https://devboard.gitsense.com/microsoft/vscode https://devboard.gitsense.com/microsoft/vscode). The closes that I have found is vercel's next.js https://devboard.gitsense.com/vercel/next.js https://devboard.gitsense.com/vercel/next.js Full Disclosure: This is my tool

Zambyte 3y ago
> I have yet to find another open source project that has the same community involvement as vscode Emacs. I mention this specifically because it's clear that VS Code is heavily inspired by Emacs in all the ways that you describe.
- Barrin92 3y ago
  VsCode is basically Javascript-Emacs but people really react with something between bother and disgust to that comparison. The extensibility on top of a very generic core has even encouraged a lot of comparable extensions. Like Roam/Org clones that basically function like org-mode or bespoke git clients. VsCode is very quickly becoming a platform for software.
  - hollerith 3y ago
    That might be true, but I found it easy 30 years ago to learn how to modify Emacs, but spent 100s of hours trying to learn how to exert a similar level of control over VSCode, and never saw any significant signs I was getting close to my goal. Profession web developers might have a different experience.
    - bitwize 3y ago
      I agree with you that extending Visual Studio Code is a quite different experience, more akin to pulling teeth or writing COM controls in C++ in the 90s than to extending Emacs, which can be done live in your editing session as you work. But. Seventy-five percent of developers use Visual Studio Code, with most of the rest being vim, neovim, or JetBrains holdouts. All of the brainpower for extensions and tooling integration is going into Visual Studio Code, not Emacs. Soon, Emacs will simply be left behind.
      - sdesol 3y ago
        I'm definitely one of those vim holdouts, even though vscode vim support is pretty good. If vscode ever supports ctrl-z to jump into a full terminal and fg to jump back into editor mode, then I'll definitely convert.
        orangea 3y ago
        VS Code certainly can be configured to have a keyboard shortcut to switch to a terminal and another shortcut to switch back and/or close the terminal. In fact probably every popular editor with a built-in terminal can do that.
croes 3y ago
And just like Google and Chrome this will end up bad.

deleted 3y ago

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