I got tired of switching apps to work with PDFs, so I built a VS Code extension

Description and use

The VS Code extension lets users annotate PDFs within the editor, preserving standard annotations for external use and eliminating app switching.

Problem

Reviewing PDFs required switching from VS Code to separate PDF apps for highlighting, commenting, or signing, disrupting workflow.

Outcome

The extension enables seamless PDF annotation within VS Code while preserving standard annotations for external use, eliminating the need to switch apps.

Workflow

• Open PDF in VS Code via the extension
• Use highlight, underline, comment, LaTeX math, shapes, form fill, or sign tools
• Save edits – annotations are stored as standard PDF annotations
• Close VS Code and open PDF in external app to verify annotations persist
• Rotate, reorder, insert pages, print, or undo changes as needed

Evidence

I wanted to do all of that without breaking my workflow, especially when reading research papers or working with technical documents.

Source

It lets you annotate PDFs directly in VS Code: highlight and underline text, leave comments, write rich-text notes with LaTeX maths, draw shapes, fill forms, and sign documents.

Source

Annotations are saved using standard PDF annotations, so your edited documents can still be opened in Acrobat, Preview, and browsers.

Source