For almost ten years, I’ve consistently used JetBrains products. I’ve worked with RubyMine, PhpStorm, PyCharm, WebStorm, Rider, RustRover, and IntelliJ. I created many custom shortcut keys that boosted my productivity. JetBrains is a powerful IDE that already includes many of the tools that I need.
I tried to use VS Code frequently, but I had to install too many extensions to configure my setup. This caused the IDE to slow down, crash, and restart frequently, so I generally preferred not to use it.
That changed when Cursor AI came out!!! As you know, Cursor AI is built on the VS Code structure. When I saw the power of AI in Cursor IDE, I couldn’t resist. I had to get used to VS Code and start working with it. It took me around three days to find the best extensions and create an environment similar to what JetBrains offers. And I think I did it! Now, Cursor IDE has become more stable, and I am working very happily with it.
For those who feel the same way or who have had similar issues and are still afraid to use VS Code, I want to share a few of my favorite extensions that helped me the most.
I’m currently working with Kajabi, and we’re utilizing a Ruby and React tech stack; therefore, I’ll also show Ruby-related extensions.
Git extension
I’m using the GitHub Pull Request extension to view pull requests, review code in the IDE, write and view code review comments, create pull requests, and more. All those features support AI, and they are very productive and useful.
Ruby & Rails extensions
Ruby Language Server Protocol
I use the Ruby Language Server extension to inspect Ruby code. It offers great features such as file searching, finding references, and locating usages.
Rails Test Runner
I use the Rails Test Runner extension to manage testing processes. It helps me run inline and full-file tests, generate coverage reports, and easily execute tests while viewing the results.
Database tool
I’m using the JDBC database client extension to manage all database processes. It offers many useful features. As shown in the pictures, you can add databases like dev, staging, or production and track and manage each of them individually. Additionally, the extension allows you to export data as JSON or CSV with a single click, and while writing SQL you can get assistance from Cursor AI to help write what you need.
Closing
I currently use 38 different extensions, but it’s not possible to go over each one here. Instead, I wanted to share the four extensions that I find the most valuable and am glad I installed. I hope this has been helpful!
Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.