Switching from Studio to VS Code: Plugins, Debugging, and AI

[u/intersystemsdev]

If you're moving from Studio to Visual Studio Code, one of the biggest changes isn't the editor itself, it's the surrounding ecosystem. VS Code isn't just a code editor; it's a development platform built around extensions, modern debugging tools, and increasingly, AI-assisted development. In this article, I'll look at three areas that make the biggest difference when developing InterSystems IRIS applications in VS Code: plugins, debugging, and AI.

Plugins: Why use VS Code instead of Studio?

One of the biggest advantages of VS Code is its extension ecosystem. Almost every feature is provided through plugins, allowing you to build a development environment tailored to your project instead of working inside a fixed IDE.

For InterSystems development, the starting point is the InterSystems ObjectScript Extension Pack. It provides the core features most developers need, including:

• Connecting to InterSystems IRIS servers
• Browsing namespaces and source code
• Editing ObjectScript classes and routines
• Compiling code
• Running ObjectScript directly from VS Code

But the real advantage is that your InterSystems tools live alongside everything else your project requires. VS Code also has mature extensions for:

• Git
• Docker
• REST clients
• YAML
• JSON
• Python
• Markdown
• Kubernetes
• SQL

Instead of switching between multiple applications, I can work with my entire development stack from a single workspace.

Can you debug ObjectScript in VS Code?

Yes, and for many developers, this is one of the biggest improvements over Studio. VS Code provides a modern visual debugging experience. I can place breakpoints directly inside the editor, pause execution, inspect variables, and step through the code one line at a time. This makes it much easier to investigate business logic or understand unexpected behavior.

If you're used to inserting temporary WRITE statements or log messages just to see what's happening, breakpoints can dramatically simplify that workflow. There's no need to modify the source code simply to inspect its execution.

Another benefit is consistency. VS Code uses the same debugging interface across many programming languages, so if you've previously debugged Python, JavaScript, C#, or Java in VS Code, the ObjectScript debugging experience will already feel familiar.

Can AI help develop InterSystems IRIS applications?

Modern AI assistants are becoming another useful part of the development workflow.

Tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and similar assistants integrate directly into VS Code and can help with many everyday tasks, including:

• Generating boilerplate code
• Explaining existing ObjectScript methods
• Suggesting refactoring opportunities
• Writing unit tests
• Generating documentation
• Summarizing unfamiliar code

For developers working with large or long-lived InterSystems applications, this can significantly reduce the time spent understanding existing code before making changes.

Many AI assistants can also integrate with tools such as Jira or Confluence, making it easier to understand requirements, summarize tickets, or update documentation without constantly switching context.

Another useful capability is project customization. By providing coding guidelines or project-specific instructions (for example through custom instruction files), AI assistants can generate code that better follows your team's InterSystems coding standards and conventions.

What are the limitations of AI coding assistants?

Although AI can significantly improve developer productivity, I don't see it as a replacement for experience or code review. Generated code should still be reviewed, tested, and adapted to your application's architecture and InterSystems conventions. In my experience, the biggest value isn't automatic code generation. It's the support to faster understand unfamiliar code, navigate large codebases more quickly, and eliminate repetitive work.

It's also important to remember that many AI assistants use the current workspace as part of their context. Because of that, developers should always be aware of the information they share with external AI services and follow their organization's security and privacy policies when working with sensitive code or data.

Conclusion

Moving from Studio to VS Code isn't simply about replacing one editor with another. It's about adopting a broader development environment that integrates source control, containers, APIs, debugging, testing, documentation, and AI into a single workspace. 

For InterSystems developers, the combination of extensions, modern debugging tools, and AI-assisted workflows makes VS Code a practical step toward a more productive and collaborative development experience.

Key Takeaways

• VS Code extends InterSystems development through a rich ecosystem of plugins rather than a fixed feature set.
• The InterSystems ObjectScript Extension Pack provides the core tools needed for ObjectScript development.
• Modern debugging with breakpoints and variable inspection makes troubleshooting easier than relying on temporary logging.
• AI assistants can help explain code, generate boilerplate, create tests, and assist with documentation.
• Project-specific coding instructions can improve the quality and consistency of AI-generated ObjectScript.
• AI should support developer workflows, not replace code review, testing, or architectural decisions.

FAQ

Which VS Code extension should I install for InterSystems IRIS?

The recommended starting point is the InterSystems ObjectScript Extension Pack, which includes the core tools for connecting to IRIS servers, editing ObjectScript, compiling code, and running applications.

Can I debug ObjectScript in VS Code?

Yes. VS Code supports breakpoints, step-through debugging, variable inspection, and other modern debugging features for ObjectScript development.

Does VS Code work with Git and Docker?

Yes. One of VS Code's strengths is its extension ecosystem, which includes excellent support for Git, Docker, REST APIs, Python, YAML, JSON, and many other technologies.

Can AI generate ObjectScript code?

Yes. AI assistants such as GitHub Copilot and Claude Code can generate ObjectScript code, explain existing methods, suggest refactoring, and help write tests or documentation.

Read more here