Guide for Setting Up Visual Studio Code, Node.js, and GitHub Desktop

1. Download Visual Studio Code:

   • Visit the official Visual Studio Code website.
   • Download the version appropriate for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

2. Install Visual Studio Code:

   • Run the downloaded installer.
   • Follow the installation prompts, making sure to:
     • Check the box to add "Open with Code" to the context menu.
     • Check the box to add Visual Studio Code to the system PATH.

3. Open Visual Studio Code:

   • Launch Visual Studio Code.
   • (Optional) Install recommended extensions for JavaScript and Node.js development, such as:
     • ESLint
     • Prettier - Code formatter
     • Node.js Extension Pack

1. Download Node.js:

   • Go to the official Node.js website.
   • Download the LTS (Long-Term Support) version for better stability.

2. Install Node.js:

   • Run the downloaded installer.
   • Follow the prompts to install Node.js and ensure the option to install npm (Node Package Manager) is selected.

3. Verify Installation:

   • Open a terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
   • Run the following commands to check if Node.js and npm are installed correctly:

     node -v
     npm -v
     

   • You should see version numbers for both.

1. Sign Up for GitHub:

   • Visit GitHub.
   • Click Sign up in the top-right corner.
   • Follow the prompts to create an account, providing an email address, username, and password.

2. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication (Optional but Recommended):

   • Go to your profile picture > Settings > Security.
   • Enable two-factor authentication for enhanced security.

1. Download GitHub Desktop:

   • Go to the GitHub Desktop website.
   • Download the installer for your operating system.

2. Install GitHub Desktop:

   • Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts.

3. Set Up GitHub Desktop:

   • Launch GitHub Desktop.
   • Sign in using your GitHub account credentials.
   • Configure your name and email for commits:
     • Go to File > Options (Windows) or GitHub Desktop > Preferences (macOS).
     • Enter your name and email address (use the same email as your GitHub account).

1. Clone an Existing Repository:

   • In GitHub Desktop, click File > Clone Repository.
   • Select a repository from your GitHub account or paste the repository URL.

2. Create a New Repository:

   • Click File > New Repository.
   • Enter a name for the repository, choose a local path, and initialize it with a README file.
   • Click Create Repository.

3. Push Changes to GitHub:

   • Make changes to your local repository (e.g., add files).
   • In GitHub Desktop, you’ll see the changes listed under Changes.
   • Add a commit message and click Commit to main.
   • Click Push origin to upload your changes to GitHub.

1. Create a Node.js Project:

   • Open a terminal in Visual Studio Code.
   • Run the following commands to create a simple Node.js project:

     mkdir my-node-project
     cd my-node-project
     npm init -y
     

   • This creates a new project folder and initializes a package.json file.

2. Write a Sample Script:

   • Create a new file in Visual Studio Code called index.js.
   • Add the following code:

     console.log('Hello, World!');

   • Save the file.

3. Run the Script:

   • In the terminal, run:

     node index.js
     

   • You should see Hello, World! printed in the terminal.

4. Push Your Code to GitHub:

   • Use GitHub Desktop to commit and push the new project folder to a repository.

Congratulations! You have set up Visual Studio Code, Node.js, and GitHub Desktop. You’re now ready to start coding and managing your projects effectively.

Get started learning to code here 🔥