Editor Integration

Q: How do I select the venv in VS Code?

Command Palette > Python: Select Interpreter > choose .venv/bin/python.

Q: How do I disable format on save for one file?

Not easily per-file. Use # fmt: off blocks for specific sections.

Q: Can I share settings without forcing them?

Use extensions.json for recommendations; settings.json for team defaults. Personal overrides go in user settings.

Q: What about devcontainers?

Add extensions to devcontainer.json customizations.vscode.extensions.

Q: Editor shows different errors than CI?

Sync ruff version in pre-commit rev with pyproject.toml dev dependency.

IDE integration surfaces lint errors, type issues, and formatting fixes as you type. Fast feedback loops keep code clean without waiting for CI.

Recipe

VS Code extensions:

charliermarsh.ruff (Ruff)
ms-python.mypy-type-checker or built-in Pylance (pyright)

// .vscode/settings.json
{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
  "[python]": {
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
      "source.fixAll.ruff": "explicit",
      "source.organizeImports.ruff": "explicit"
    }
  },
  "ruff.configuration": "pyproject.toml"
}

When to reach for this:

Setting up a new developer machine
Lint errors only appear in CI (too late)
Team wants consistent editor behavior via committed settings

Working Example

// .vscode/settings.json (commit this file)
{
  "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
  "ruff.enable": true,
  "ruff.lint.run": "onSave",
  "mypy-type-checker.args": ["src/"],
  "mypy-type-checker.severity": {
    "error": "Error",
    "note": "Information"
  }
}

// .vscode/extensions.json
{
  "recommendations": [
    "charliermarsh.ruff",
    "ms-python.python",
    "ms-python.mypy-type-checker"
  ]
}

What this demonstrates:

Format on save with ruff
Import organization on save
mypy errors shown inline
Extension recommendations for one-click setup

Deep Dive

VS Code Setup

Setting	Effect
`formatOnSave`	Auto-format with ruff
`source.fixAll.ruff`	Auto-fix lint violations
`source.organizeImports.ruff`	Sort imports on save
`python.defaultInterpreterPath`	Point to project `.venv`

PyCharm Setup

Settings > Tools > Ruff: enable, point to project pyproject.toml
Settings > Tools > Python Integrated Tools > Default formatter: Ruff
Enable mypy plugin: Settings > Tools > Mypy, set config path

Gotchas

Wrong Python interpreter - lint runs against system packages. Fix: select .venv interpreter in VS Code status bar.
No committed .vscode/settings.json - each dev configures differently. Fix: commit shared settings (not personal keybindings).
Pylance and mypy both enabled - duplicate errors. Fix: pick one type checker in the editor; run the other in CI if needed.
Format on save without ruff extension - Black or autopep8 conflicts. Fix: set defaultFormatter to ruff explicitly.
Ruff not finding pyproject.toml - runs with defaults. Fix: open the project root folder, not a subdirectory.

Alternatives

Alternative	Use When	Don't Use When
CI only	No local setup time	Active development
Neovim + conform.nvim	Terminal-centric workflow	Team uses VS Code
Zed editor	Lightweight alternative	Need PyCharm Django tools

FAQs

VS Code or PyCharm for Python?

Both work well. VS Code + ruff + Pylance is lighter. PyCharm excels for Django refactoring.

How do I select the venv in VS Code?

Command Palette > Python: Select Interpreter > choose .venv/bin/python.

Does Pylance replace mypy?

Pylance (pyright) is fast for editing. mypy in CI catches issues Pylance may miss. Use both or pick one.

How do I disable format on save for one file?

Not easily per-file. Use # fmt: off blocks for specific sections.

Can I share settings without forcing them?

Use extensions.json for recommendations; settings.json for team defaults. Personal overrides go in user settings.

How do I see ruff errors inline?

Install ruff extension. Errors appear as squiggles; hover for rule explanation.

PyCharm ruff plugin setup?

Install Ruff plugin from marketplace. Enable in Settings > Tools > Ruff.

What about devcontainers?

Add extensions to devcontainer.json customizations.vscode.extensions.

How do I fix all ruff issues at once?

Command Palette > Ruff: Fix all auto-fixable problems.

Editor shows different errors than CI?

Sync ruff version in pre-commit rev with pyproject.toml dev dependency.

Ruff Setup - ruff configuration
pre-commit Hooks - git-level checks
mypy & pyright in CI - type checking
Linting & Formatting Best Practices - team standards

Stack versions: This page was written for Python 3.14.0, FastAPI 0.115+, Django 5.2, Flask 3.1, Pydantic 2, PyTorch 2.6+, pandas 2.2+, Polars 1.x, ruff 0.9+, and uv 0.6+.

Recipe

VS Code extensions:

charliermarsh.ruff (Ruff)
ms-python.mypy-type-checker or built-in Pylance (pyright)

// .vscode/settings.json
{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
  "[python]": {
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
      "source.fixAll.ruff": "explicit",
      "source.organizeImports.ruff": "explicit"
    }
  },
  "ruff.configuration": "pyproject.toml"
}

When to reach for this:

Setting up a new developer machine
Lint errors only appear in CI (too late)
Team wants consistent editor behavior via committed settings

Working Example

// .vscode/settings.json (commit this file)
{
  "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "${workspaceFolder}/.venv/bin/python",
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
  "ruff.enable": true,
  "ruff.lint.run": "onSave",
  "mypy-type-checker.args": ["src/"],
  "mypy-type-checker.severity": {
    "error": "Error",
    "note": "Information"
  }
}

// .vscode/extensions.json
{
  "recommendations": [
    "charliermarsh.ruff",
    "ms-python.python",
    "ms-python.mypy-type-checker"
  ]
}

What this demonstrates:

Format on save with ruff
Import organization on save
mypy errors shown inline
Extension recommendations for one-click setup

Deep Dive

VS Code Setup

Setting	Effect
`formatOnSave`	Auto-format with ruff
`source.fixAll.ruff`	Auto-fix lint violations
`source.organizeImports.ruff`	Sort imports on save
`python.defaultInterpreterPath`	Point to project `.venv`

PyCharm Setup

Settings > Tools > Ruff: enable, point to project pyproject.toml
Settings > Tools > Python Integrated Tools > Default formatter: Ruff
Enable mypy plugin: Settings > Tools > Mypy, set config path

Gotchas

Wrong Python interpreter - lint runs against system packages. Fix: select .venv interpreter in VS Code status bar.
No committed .vscode/settings.json - each dev configures differently. Fix: commit shared settings (not personal keybindings).
Pylance and mypy both enabled - duplicate errors. Fix: pick one type checker in the editor; run the other in CI if needed.
Format on save without ruff extension - Black or autopep8 conflicts. Fix: set defaultFormatter to ruff explicitly.
Ruff not finding pyproject.toml - runs with defaults. Fix: open the project root folder, not a subdirectory.

Alternatives

Alternative	Use When	Don't Use When
CI only	No local setup time	Active development
Neovim + conform.nvim	Terminal-centric workflow	Team uses VS Code
Zed editor	Lightweight alternative	Need PyCharm Django tools

FAQs

VS Code or PyCharm for Python?

Both work well. VS Code + ruff + Pylance is lighter. PyCharm excels for Django refactoring.

How do I select the venv in VS Code?

Command Palette > Python: Select Interpreter > choose .venv/bin/python.

Does Pylance replace mypy?

Pylance (pyright) is fast for editing. mypy in CI catches issues Pylance may miss. Use both or pick one.

How do I disable format on save for one file?

Not easily per-file. Use # fmt: off blocks for specific sections.

Can I share settings without forcing them?

Use extensions.json for recommendations; settings.json for team defaults. Personal overrides go in user settings.

How do I see ruff errors inline?

Install ruff extension. Errors appear as squiggles; hover for rule explanation.

PyCharm ruff plugin setup?

Install Ruff plugin from marketplace. Enable in Settings > Tools > Ruff.

What about devcontainers?

Add extensions to devcontainer.json customizations.vscode.extensions.

How do I fix all ruff issues at once?

Command Palette > Ruff: Fix all auto-fixable problems.

Editor shows different errors than CI?

Sync ruff version in pre-commit rev with pyproject.toml dev dependency.

Ruff Setup - ruff configuration
pre-commit Hooks - git-level checks
mypy & pyright in CI - type checking
Linting & Formatting Best Practices - team standards

Stack versions: This page was written for Python 3.14.0, FastAPI 0.115+, Django 5.2, Flask 3.1, Pydantic 2, PyTorch 2.6+, pandas 2.2+, Polars 1.x, ruff 0.9+, and uv 0.6+.

Editor Integration

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Editor Integration