VS Code is no longer just an IDE. This has become a unique ecosystem. this now more like an operating system. When I say VS Code, I don’t just mean the software developed by Microsoft. I also mean the open source project that makes tools like Cursor, Antigravity and others possible. VS Code now also has a full agent runner built around agent AI and automation. The platform is clearly evolving.
I have even been use as a note-taking program it’s been almost a week and i honestly don’t have much to complain about. By combining native file management capabilities with Markdown and a few key extensions, I was able to easily build a future-proof, native-first personal knowledge management (PKM) system.
Setting up VS Code as a note taker
It required surprisingly little work
Setting up VS Code as a note-taking application took surprisingly little work. I started by creating a special folder for my notes and opening the entire folder as a VS Code workspace. Within it, I created separate folders for journal entries, article ideas, research, ongoing projects, and archival material. Since each note is saved as a regular Markdown file, I can open it in another text editor, move the entire library to another location, or back it up without having to deal with a proprietary format.
VS Code already supports Markdown syntax and includes a built-in preview, but I installed Markdown All in One to improve the actual writing experience. It adds useful keyboard shortcuts, automatic list continuation, table of contents generation, and better handling of links and formatting. I also enabled AutoSave so that VS Code saves each change after a short delay. The global search was already powerful enough to find a word or phrase in my entire notes folder, so I didn’t need a separate extension for the search.
The most important addition was Foam, the first native open-source knowledge management extension built specifically for VS Code. Foam allows me to connect notes using wiki-style links, create backlinks, maintain journal entries, and view connections via a knowledge graph. This gives VS Code many of the organizational features you get with apps like Obsidian, keeping everything in regular Markdown files. I also created several reusable Markdown templates for meeting notes, article research, and journal entries. Each template includes key fields such as date, tags, source links, and associated notes, which prevent a folder from becoming a collection of haphazardly formatted files.
Although I didn’t do this, if you want more control over the logs folder, you can put it in a private Git repository. It will give you version history and off-device backup, but any cloud storage or regular backup tool can do the same job.
It actually uses VS Code as a recording application
It wasn’t much different than using any other recording software
Once the initial setup was complete, using VS Code wasn’t much different than any other note-taking program. I pin the notes workspace to my recent projects list, so it takes a few seconds to open. The Explorer sidebar shows the full folder structure, while Quick Open lets me jump directly to any entry by typing part of the file name. If I can’t remember where something was saved, global search can scan every Markdown file for a word or phrase. This works especially well when the number of records starts to grow and browsing folders manually is inefficient.
Writing in VS Code is also better than I expected. Markdown keeps formatting simple, and I can add headings, lists, links, tables, checkboxes, and blocks of code without reaching for the toolbar. I usually write in a regular editor and open the Markdown preview next to it when I need to check the final formatting.
Foam is useful when the note relates to something I’ve already written. I can insert a wiki-style link without looking for the exact file path, and the backlinks show me every other entry that references the page I’m currently viewing. I don’t use the knowledge graph all the time, but it provides a useful overview when I want to explore how different topics connect.
VS Code may not be a replacement for notes software for everyone
You’re probably better off with Obsidian
You’re better off using a tool like Obsidian or Notion for recording, as these tools are designed specifically for this purpose. I find this approach especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in the code editor and don’t want to switch between tools when they need to take notes as they work.
First, when I’m coding or working in VS Code, I get a lot of ideas and remember things I might otherwise forget. Having a note-taking system on the platform helps me jot down these ideas as they come to me without breaking my flow.
The experience is similar to working inside a code editor, which is still not for everyone. By default, there is no polished mobile app, rich text canvas, or effortless web clipping system. However, the desktop experience is fast, predictable and quite flexible. My notes stay as regular files on my computer, and VS Code provides enough structure to manage them without tying the entire system to a specific recording platform.
VS Code remains the best IDE
VS Code is still one of the best code editors you can use right now, primarily because of the number of extensions it supports. While tools like Cursor and Antigravity are good enough, they still don’t match the size of VS Code’s ecosystem. If you’re using VS Code, it’s not like you’re missing out on the AI features these tools promise. You can always add them via extensions. For example, there is support for Claude Code, Codex and many other AI extensions.
