Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free code editor from Microsoft that has become a favorite tool among developers. Its flexibility, ease of use, and support for various programming languages make it a versatile choice, offering built-in features like Git integration, customization options, debugging, and a wide range of extensions.
Now, you can enhance your data handling capabilities using the Google Cloud extension for VS Code. This extension simplifies interaction with BigQuery and other Google Cloud services, allowing you to work within a single environment.
Key Features of the Google Cloud Extension:
1. Develop BigQuery Notebooks: Easily create and run BigQuery notebooks right in the editor, streamlining your data analysis and processing.
2. Browse and Inspect Datasets: Access your BigQuery datasets and preview their contents without leaving the editor.
Here’s what you need to set up before diving in:
1. Check Python Version: Make sure you have Python 3.11 or later installed.
2. Initialize the gcloud CLI in your terminal.
3. Configure Your Project: Set your default project and set up Application Default Credentials.
4. Download and Install VS Code.
5. Install Required Extensions: Jupyter Extension and Google Cloud Code. Restart VS Code if prompted.
6. Configuring the Extension
And that's it! Now you can make it directly in IDE:
1. Create a BigQuery Notebook: In the BigQuery Notebooks section, click on "BigQuery Notebook" to generate a new ipynb file with sample code. Choose a Python kernel for execution and install any necessary libraries like bigframes.
2. Explore Datasets: Access your datasets and tables from the specified project and region in the BigQuery Datasets section. Open any table to view its details and schema in a new editor tab.
If you work with GA4 to BigQuery exports, be sure to check out my SQL cheat sheet.
