Genomics analysis is a complex and data-intensive process that requires robust and efficient tools to manage and process large amounts of genetic data. Visual Studio Code (VS Code), a free and open-source code editor developed by Microsoft, is an excellent tool for genomics analysis due to its speed, flexibility, a vast ecosystem of extensions, and powerful features.
VS Code is designed to let you seamlessly leverage the environments that make you most productive. You can work in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), remote machines via SSH, and dev containers directly from VS Code with the VS Code Remote Development extensions. These extensions install a server on the remote environment, allowing local VS Code to smoothly interact with remote source code and runtimes.
VS Code key features
VS Code comes with a host of features that make it a great choice for developers.
- Intuitive interface: VS Code has a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate.
- Integrated terminal: An integrated terminal allows developers to execute commands and run scripts without leaving the editor.
- Debugging: Built-in debugging support for a variety of languages makes it easy to debug code directly within the editor.
- Git integration: Manage source control from within the editor.
- Extensions: One advantage of using Visual Studio Code for genomics analysis is its extensive library of extensions to enhance its functionality and add new features for a wide range of languages and frameworks. Some popular extensions for genomics analysis provide syntax highlighting and autocompletion for the Python, R, and Julia programming languages.
VS Code Server
The Visual Studio Code Server (VS Code Server) is a service you can run on a remote development machine, like your desktop PC or a virtual machine (VM). It lets you securely connect to that remote machine from anywhere through a local VS Code client, without an SSH requirement (reference).
The service is built on the underlying server used by the remote extensions and includes some additional functionality, like an interactive CLI and facilitating secure connections to vscode.dev ( reference).
VS Code Server benefits
- Remote Development: With VS Code server, you can develop code on a remote machine, allowing you to use your local machine for other tasks.
- Collaboration: VS Code server allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase/
- Cloud: VS Code server integrates with Microsoft Azure, allowing you to develop and deploy applications in the cloud.
- Secure: VS Code server uses SSH encryption, providing a secure connection between your Terra virtual environment and the remote server.
Access the New Featured Workspace
Start the VS Code server from your Terra cloud environment and leverage the power of a Terra Microsoft Azure Data Science VM for the VS Code implementations with this featured workspace.
