How to choose a Dev Setup preset (frontend, Node, full-stack, Python)
A practical decision guide for the four main presets: who each bundle is for, what extensions are emphasized, and when to mix manually.
The wizard asks you to pick a starting preset. Presets are not locks—they pre-select Marketplace extensions you can toggle on the next screen. Choosing well saves time because you start close to your real goal instead of an empty editor.
Frontend (HTML / CSS / JavaScript)
Choose this if your near-term work is web pages in the browser: layout, styling, and client-side JavaScript. You might be learning from courses that use Live Server or static sites, or tweaking landing pages for a side project. The bundle emphasizes preview, formatting, and HTML/CSS assistance rather than server runtimes.
Node / TypeScript
Choose this if you are building APIs, CLI tools, or npm-based projects without a heavy browser UI. It still includes quality-of-life tooling (ESLint, Prettier, Git integration) but de-emphasizes live browser preview extensions you may not need on day one.
Full-stack
Choose this when you expect to touch both UI and server code in the same workspace. On Windows, the preset may suggest Remote - WSL when Linux-aligned tooling is useful. It is broader than Node-only—slightly more extensions—so accept a longer first install.
Python / data
Choose this for notebooks, scripts, pandas-style workflows, or coursework labeled “Python” rather than “web design.” It is not a substitute for installing Python itself; you still install Python and create virtual environments separately. The preset focuses on editor support (Python extension with bundled Pylance, Jupyter, Ruff, etc.).
When none of them fit perfectly
- Pick the closest preset, then uncheck extensions you know you will not use on the extensions step.
- Add missing extensions later with `code --install-extension` or the Marketplace UI.
- Run the wizard again months later if your stack changes—scripts are idempotent for already-installed extensions.
Time and disk expectations
A full-stack or Python preset installs more Marketplace packages than frontend-only. Budget 5–15 minutes of download time on first run depending on network speed. SSD laptops feel faster than older spinning disks, but the main variable is bandwidth.