VS Code
Microsoft's free cross-platform code editor; the most common host for AI coding extensions.
- ~70% editor share in surveys.
- Most AI tools target VS Code first.
- Cursor and Windsurf are forks; Continue and Cline are extensions.
When to use: As the default editor for most AI workflows unless JetBrains-locked.
Example: `code --install-extension anthropic.claude-code` installs Claude Code from the terminal.