...

VSCode (Visual Studio Code) is probably the most popular IDE for software development because of its versatility and lightweight framework. You can go from writing C++ to Python to Javascript to HTML in a single IDE, with tools you can download for formatting and writing each language. For the software development in NER, we typically prefer using Visual Studio Code, just because it is lightweight and easy to install and doesn’t end up with weird file names or project files like some other IDEs. VSCode also works on macOS, Linux, and Windows, and operates pretty much the same across all of them. VSCode is simple, effective, cross-platform, and powerful.

Downloading VSCode

To download VSCode, you just need to go to this link to install it on your machine. Then follow the instructions in the installation wizard, making sure to add any “open with code” options you see. For Windows, you may also want to add to PATH.

Little VSCode Overview

...

VSCode is essentially just a normal text editor on steroids. On the left side of the screen, you got some of the main functionality of the IDE. VSCode works best when you open a directory, which you can do by clicking File in the top left, and then choosing Open Folder. You can also edit single files by opening a file with VSCode, or by going to File and then Open File.

...