# IDE: alternatives to VS Code?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** ide\
**Created:** [November 12, 2024, 8:17am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526 "2024-11-12T08:17:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![PhilippA](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/philippa/32/21676_2.png) [@PhilippA](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PhilippA)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 10:50am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526/65 "2024-11-23T10:50:38Z")

</div>

True, but it provides this support natively, without any extension, and the functionality of the plot and data viewer, for example, is the same for R and Python. In addition, Positron natively recognises all installed versions of Python and R, allowing you to switch between them. Furthermore, their (R) debugger is amazing as they can even debug in C++ (see 48:00 [https://youtu.be/8uRcB34Hhsw?si=LSlCNwWMn29S6ITZ](https://youtu.be/8uRcB34Hhsw?si=LSlCNwWMn29S6ITZ)).

These are certainly nuances, but in my experience people new to a language will acknowledge similar behaviour from IDEs. And native integration between Julia, R and Python will certainly help Julia’s popularity as well. Another advantage, imho, is that Posit provides financial resources to develop this IDE.

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**Author:** ![bertschi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/bertschi/32/33462_2.png) [@bertschi](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bertschi)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 11:11am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526/66 "2024-11-23T11:11:33Z")

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> [@nsajko](#):
>
> I fail to see what the value proposition for Positron over VS Code is supposed to be, even after checking out their README and Web site.

Personally, I agree and both VSCode and Emacs work fine with Julia for my needs.  
On the other hand, Posit is the company behind RStudio and if Positron has a similar look and feel, comes pre-configured etc, I can see the appeal in a company setting.

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**Author:** ![apo383](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/apo383/32/11272_2.png) [@apo383](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/apo383)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526/67 "2024-11-29T21:20:34Z")

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RStudio or Spyder users say ick when they see my VSCode window. They love their data science layout, where the code, plots, and variables are in standard locations and look and feel.

I often lose control of my VSCode (actually Cursor) layout and consistently have more panes open than I want. My Python pane says shift-return should execute in Interactive but it doesn’t, it goes to my Terminal. My Interactive says Enter to execute, but it doesn’t, have to use cmd-Enter. Dunno what extension is messing up the keyboard shortcuts, would take a binary search of depth ≥5 to figure it out. But you’d have to pry VSCode from my cold, dead fingers because it’s so easy to edit the occasional LaTeX, html, or C.

I suspect Posit is testing out Positron as an eventual replacement for RStudio. The momentum behind VSCode is just too strong.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![technocrat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/technocrat/32/220947_2.png) [@technocrat](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/technocrat)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526/68 "2025-04-06T23:39:13Z")

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I am using Cursor, a fork of VSCode with AI integration. Good syntax highlighting and autocompletion, integrated git repo management, teaser Sonnet 3.7 access with paid options for more and faster (falls back to lower grade and slower). Almost too many options for keybinding.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fdekerme](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fdekerme/32/43574_2.png) [@fdekerme](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/fdekerme)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ide-alternatives-to-vs-code/122526/70 "2025-04-26T16:16:54Z")

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You can use that in the zed settings:

```julia
{
    "context": "Editor && mode == full",
    "bindings": {
      "shift-enter": [
        "workspace::SendKeystrokes",
        "cmd-c ctrl-` cmd-v ctrl-` down"
      ]
    }
  }

```

The Shift-Enter will send the current line in the REPL. In the current state it however doesn’t work for code block (function, struct …) as in VS code.

> **[tasks -\> send to terminal? · zed-industries zed · Discussion #14058](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/discussions/14058)**
>
> I've been playing with tasks for a bit. I am trying to get something similar to the send-to-terminal capability in VSCode. i have a terminal open w/ a psql connection to a postgres database. i'd li...

> **[Send code to terminal · zed-industries zed · Discussion #8674](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/discussions/8674)**
>
> I'd like to run interpreted code from Zed, for example this python function. Is there any way to contextually send the code in the editor to the terminal? Are there keyboard commands that can do that?

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