Most basic writing and documentation tasks in VS Code can be pimped up with MD and some PlantUML

VSCode setup for basic writing

Extensions: 

1. Paste images straight into Markdown and have VSCode handle the dirty work. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=mushan.vscode-paste-image
2. PlantUML for drawing out small visuals as you go. Invaluable. (PlantUML reference: http://plantuml.com/) https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=jebbs.plantuml 
3. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=shd101wyy.markdown-preview-enhanced
4. Save as PDF using Puppeteer. The following at the top of the file:
---
puppeteer:
  landscape: false
  format: "A4"
  timeout: 3000 # <= wait 3 seconds before rendering in browser
---
5. Sample file:

---
puppeteer:
  landscape: false
  format: "A4"
  timeout: 3000 # <= wait 3 seconds before rendering in browser
---

```plantuml

title Run jar in container
(*) -> [Eclipse project]"Java class"
"Java class" -> "Jar"
"Jar" -> [docker cp]"Container"
"Container" -down> [Identify class name\nLook at source code, (edu.uchicago.vedant.HDFSWriter)\ninspect jar file: jar tf jar-file\nyarn jar HDFSWriter.SNAPSHOT.<whatever>.jar <classname>]"Execute jar"
```


![](2019-11-21-18-07-34.png)


6. For live updates, look at the Markdown Enhanced Preview.
7. To get a PDF out, right click, Chrome Puppeteer > PDF.


Main guide:

1. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/inserting-uml-in-markdown-using-vscode/