Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open-source, lightweight but powerful source-code editor developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is widely used for software development because it combines ease of use with advanced developer tools and extensibility.

Key features of Visual Studio Code include:

Code Editor: Supports syntax highlighting, bracket matching, code folding, snippets, and auto-indentation for many programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, C++, Java, TypeScript, and more. It uses the "Monaco" editor component used also in Azure DevOps.

IntelliSense: Provides smart code completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules, improving coding speed and accuracy.

Built-in Debugger: Interactive debugging with breakpoints, call stack, variable inspection, and console support for multiple languages including Node.js.

Integrated Terminal: A fully featured terminal embedded within the editor that supports various shells (Bash, PowerShell, Zsh, etc.) enabling running commands without leaving VS Code.

Source Control Integration: Built-in Git support with a graphical interface to track changes, commits, branches, and pull/push workflows directly inside VS Code.

Extensions and Customization: Extremely extensible via a vast marketplace of extensions that add language support, debuggers, code linters, themes, key bindings, and more. It allows customized keyboard shortcuts, themes, and user settings.

User Interface Features: Includes a code minimap (outline of the file), sticky scroll for keeping track of nested scopes, and indent guides to aid navigation within code files.

Cross-Platform: Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Remote Development: Supports remote environments, like SSH, containers, or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) via extensions for a seamless development experience on remote servers.

Web Version: A browser-based VS Code is available at vscode.dev for lightweight, web-based editing without full installation.

VS Code is renowned for its balance between lightness and power, ideal for both beginners and advanced developers, supporting hundreds of languages and frameworks with rich tooling and a large community ecosystem.