I tried VS Code with AI and Claude Code side by side for a month, and VS Code is now my fallback editor

For months, the author tried using both VS Code and Claude Code side by side, gradually shifting their primary development workflow to Claude Code. VS Code now serves as the author's fallback editor when Claude Code reaches its usage limit or when they need to manually review the code. While Claude Code suggested code as the author typed and helped fix issues, the author still had to work through the implementation themselves.

With Claude Code, the author started handing over entire tasks, such as building features or fixing bugs, by simply describing what they needed. Claude Code then generated the changes, and the author reviewed the results. This shift allowed the author to focus more on high-level tasks and less on the minutiae of implementation. For the author's self-hosted app, Karakeep, Claude Code helped add five new features in just a month.

While the author still relies on VS Code for editing and reviewing code, they find it necessary to have the editor on hand for tasks Claude Code can't handle, such as inspecting a codebase or reviewing changes. Despite spending a decade with VS Code, the author values the time and effort saved by using Claude Code for more complex tasks.