VS Code Normal for Java Development | Generated by AI
Question: Is it normal for people to use VS Code to develop Java projects?
Answer:
Yes, it is completely normal — and increasingly common — in 2025–2026.
Many developers use Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for Java development, especially in these situations:
- Smaller or medium-sized projects
- Microservices architectures
- Polyglot codebases (Java + JavaScript/TypeScript + Python + Go etc.)
- Quick edits, scripting, or DevOps-related work
- Teams that value a lightweight, fast, highly customizable editor
- Developers who already use VS Code as their main editor for other languages
- People who prefer free tools without any licensing concerns
Recent surveys show the trend clearly:
- According to the 2025 Java Developer Productivity Report (JRebel), IntelliJ IDEA is still #1 with ~84% usage, but VS Code has overtaken Eclipse and is now the second most used tool for Java (~31%).
- Many IntelliJ users also keep VS Code open as a secondary editor (around 68% of primary IntelliJ users report using VS Code too).
- The official Extension Pack for Java from Microsoft (plus Red Hat’s Language Support for Java) has made VS Code surprisingly capable for most everyday Java work: good code completion, debugging, Maven/Gradle support, Spring Boot tools, refactoring, test running, etc.
That said, professional Java backend developers working on large enterprise monoliths, complex Spring Boot applications, or heavy refactoring usually still prefer IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate because it offers deeper language intelligence, more powerful refactoring, better framework understanding (Spring, JPA, etc.), and generally faster navigation in very big codebases.
Summary — 2026 reality
- IntelliJ IDEA → dominant choice for “classic” professional / enterprise Java
- VS Code → very normal and popular choice, especially among younger developers, full-stack devs, microservices teams, and people who dislike heavy IDEs
- Both at the same time → extremely common workflow
So yes — using VS Code for Java projects is perfectly normal today and not a red flag at all.
References:
- Most Popular Java IDEs in 2026 - JRebel
- Java in Visual Studio Code - Official Docs
- Java Development in 2025: Evolving Priorities - ADTmag