VS Code for Python Developers and Data Scientists Course

Visual Studio Code for Python Developers

Course Summary

It's official: Visual Studio Code is the most popular way Python developers write Python code [1]. In 2022, 37% of Python devs and data scientists reported VS Code as their primary editor/IDE, followed by a close second with PyCharm and then nothing else close.

People choose VS Code because it's clean and simple. But that simplicity belies a massive amount of functionality that is out there to discover. That's the goal of this course, to take you from simply using VS Code to really leveraging its true potential.

What students are saying

In these first 13 minutes I learned so many techniques and best practices.

Quite a few times I found myself cursing that it had taken me weeks to learn what Michael was demonstrating in meer minutes.

The beauty of the course however lies in the fact that you're not spoon fed everything. You're expected to have prior knowledge of concepts such as Python Classes, data structures and so on.
-- Julian Sequeira (from @pybites)

Source code and course GitHub repository

github.com/talkpython/vscode-python-course

What's this course about and how is it different?

This course takes you hands-on through creating a real and meaningful Python project using FastAPI to give you a true sense of VS Code's potential and exposure to many of its features. Moverover, it's taught by two experts who have both worked at Microsoft (makers of VS Code).

Not only do you get 2 perspectives and areas of experise, but you also get a lively and fun course co-taught by two fun instructors playing off each other throughout the course.

What topics are covered

In this course, you will:

  • Learn how VS Code compares to an IDE, whether it is an IDE, and if it can become one.
  • How to choose a Python distribution for your projects.
  • Deeply explore the UI of VS Code (e.g. what can you do with the source control feature on the status bar).
  • Rearrange windows and panels to suit your style and preferences.
  • Use the all-important command palette.
  • Install and explore editor themes.
  • Customize the terminal inside of VS Code.
  • Find and install some of the best extensions.
  • Configure VS Code to be optimal for Python development.
  • Manage your virtual environments, packages, and integrate env tools like Flit.
  • Debug and test your Python code.
  • Use source control and git within VS Code.
  • And lots more

View the full course outline.

Who is this course for?

This course is for anyone who wants to use VS Code as their primary development environment. We keep beginners in mind and help them install the necessary elments (like the correct version of Python and VS Code). But we also think there is a lot to offer experienced Python developers who don't take full advantage of VS Code yet.

All software used in this course is free and open source.

This course is delivered in very high resolution

Example of 1440p high res video

This course is delivered in 1440p (4x the pixels as 720p). When you're watching the videos for this course, it will feel like you're sitting next to the instructor looking at their screen.

Every little detail, menu item, and icon is clear and crisp. Watch the introductory video at the top of this page to see an example.

Follow along with subtitles and transcripts

Each course comes with subtitles and full transcripts. The transcripts are available as a separate searchable page for each lecture. They also are available in course-wide search results to help you find just the right lecture.

Each course has subtitles available in the video player.

The time to act is now

VS Code is the most popular Python editor today, and for good reason. This course will make sure you are using the full power of that editor to write Python and other code quickly, with the highest quality.

Not sure? You've got nothing to lose. Every one of our courses comes with a 2-week money-back guarantee including this one!

Course Outline: Chapters and Lectures

Course Overview
14:16
Welcome to the Course
7:01
What You'll Need
5:04
Course Resources
2:11
Getting Setup Code with Visual Studio Code
14:54
Setup Overview
0:32
Choosing Your Python Distribution
9:04
Installing VS Code (There Are Choices)
4:48
Setup Summary
0:30
Exploring the Editor
1:08:51
Exploring the VS Code User Interface
2:14
Walking Through The UI
5:23
Command Palette
6:18
Explorer Workspaces
7:42
The Status Bar
3:07
The Terminal
3:33
Settings
5:52
Common Shortcuts
17:09
Extensions
9:31
Themes
5:52
Summary
2:10
Editing Python Code with VS Code
37:03
Editing Introduction
1:11
The Default Python Experience
2:57
What is the Python Extension?
3:52
Installing and Using the Python Extension
3:28
Linting and Formatting Code
13:22
Refactoring Code with VS Code
6:18
Code Snippets
5:03
Editing Summary
0:52
Managing Environments
26:09
Support for Virtual Environments
0:54
Handling multiple Python Versions with pyenv
7:46
Virtual Environments
5:44
Using Poetry with VS Code
5:07
Setting Environmental Variables
4:36
Environments Wrapup
2:02
Running and Debugging
35:54
Debugging Overview
0:58
Command-line Debugging Techniques
9:13
Debugging with Visual Studio Code
5:46
Exploring Debug Configurations
3:13
Working with Debug Configurations
7:47
Diving into Breakpoints
4:49
Using the Debug Console
2:24
Summary
1:44
Testing your Code
14:16
Testing Overview
1:21
Reviewing the Project Layout
4:50
Enabling Test Support
3:00
Debugging Tests
4:00
Testing Summary
1:05
Source Control with Git
32:40
What is Source Control and Why Do You Need It?
4:59
Working with a Git Repository
13:11
Viewing and Syncing Changes
6:12
The GitHub PR (Pull Request) Extension
5:15
Source Control Summary
3:03
Course Conclusion
6:05
Thank you, Summary and Resources
6:05
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