appendix-a

Appendix A. Setting up a local development environment

 

This appendix covers

  • Installing the code editor VS Code.
  • Setting a local web server with the Live Server extension.
  • Starting and stopping a local development environment.

A.1 VS Code

If you don’t have VS Code already installed on your computer, follow these instructions:

  1. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com/Download
  2. Select the version corresponding to your operating system (Windows, Linus, or Mac) and download the installer.

Windows

  1. If you downloaded VS Code for Windows, run the installer and follow the instructions.
  2. Once VS Code installation is complete, select the Launch Visual Studio code option and click the Finish button.

Mac OS

  1. If you are working with the Mac version, locate the downloaded zip file and double-click to expand it.
  2. Drag the expanded file, named Visual Studio Code.app, to your Applications folder.
  3. Double-click on the application icon to open VS Code.

Linux

  1. If you downloaded VS Code for Linux, your installation strategy will depend on your operating system. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux to find detailed instructions.
  2. Once you are done, open VS Code.

A.2 Installing and using the Live Server extension

VS Code offers a large number of extensions that you can browse and install directly from the code editor’s window. One of these extensions, named Live Server, allows you to launch a local web server with the click of a button. It also has an auto-reload feature, which is pretty neat.