These lovely VS Code extensions used to be so very helpful to save time and be more productive.
But this is 2025 now, and coding agents and AI-first IDEs like Windsurf have them all much less useful or completely obsolete.
1. JavaScript (ES6) code snippets
What did it do?
Provided shortcut-based code templates (e.g. typing clg → console.log()), saving keystrokes for common patterns.
Why less useful:
AI generates code dynamically based on context and high-level goals — not just boilerplate like forof → for (...) {} and clg → console.log(...) . It adapts to your logic, naming, and intent without needing memorized triggers.
Just tell it what you want at a high-level in natural language, and let it handle the details of if statements and for loops and all.
And of course when you want more low-level control, we still have AI code completions to easily write the boilerplate for you.
2. Regex Previewer
What did it do?
Helped users write and preview complex regular expressions for search/replace tasks or data extraction.
Why less useful:
AI understands text structure and intent. You just ask “extract all prices from the string with a new function in a new file” and it writes, explains, and applies the regex.
3. REST Client
What did it do?
Let you write and run HTTP requests (GET, POST, etc.) directly in VSCode, similar to Postman.
Why less useful:
AI can intelligently run API calls with curl using context from your open files and codebase. You just say what you want to test — “Test this route with curl”.
4. autoDocString
What did it do?
Auto-generated docstrings, function comments, and annotations from function signatures.
Why obsolete:
AI writes comprehensive documentation in your tone and style, inline as you code — with better context and detail than templates ever could.
5. Emmet
Emmet allowed you to write shorthand HTML/CSS expressions (like ul>li*5) that expanded into full markup structures instantly.
Why less useful:
AI can generate semantic, styled HTML or JSX from plain instructions — e.g., “Create a responsive navbar with logo on the left and nav items on the right.” No need to memorize or type Emmet shortcuts when you can just describe the structure.
Or of course it don’t have to stop at basic HTML. You can work with files from React, Angular, Vue, and so much more.
6. Jest Snippets
What did it do?
Stubbed out unit test structures (e.g., Jest, Mocha) for functions, including basic test case scaffolding.
Why obsolete:
AI writes full test suites with assertions, edge cases, and mock setup — all custom to the function logic and use-case.
7. Angular Snippets (Version 18)
What did it do?
Generated code snippets for Angular components, services.
Why obsolete:
AI scaffolds entire components, hooks, and pages just by describing them — with fewer constraints and no need for config.
8. Markdown All in One
What did it do?
Helped structure Markdown files, offered live preview, and provided shortcuts for common patterns (e.g., headers, tables, badges).
Why less useful:
AI writes full README files — from install instructions to API docs and licensing — in one go. No need for manual structuring.
9. JavaScript Booster
What did it do?
JavaScript Booster offered smart code refactoring like converting var to const, wrapping conditions with early returns, or simplifying expressions.
Why obsolete:
AI doesn’t just refactor mechanically — it understands why a change improves the code. You can ask things like “refactor this function for readability” or “make this async and handle edge cases”, and get optimized results without clicking through suggestions.
10. Refactorix
What did it do?
These tools offered context-aware, menu-driven refactors like extracting variables, inlining functions, renaming symbols, or flipping if/else logic — usually tied to language servers or static analysis.
Why obsolete:
AI agents don’t just apply mechanical refactors — they rewrite code for clarity, performance, or design goals based on your prompt.