1. VSCode (Visual Studio Code)

1. Download and install: VSCode is a powerful, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. You can download it from the official VSCode website. It is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
2. Essential Extensions:
   1. ESLint: Helps in identifying and fixing problems in your JavaScript code. It enforces consistent coding style and can automatically fix many issues.
   2. Prettier: A code formatter that ensures your code adheres to a consistent style, making it more readable and maintainable.
   3. Material-UI Snippets: Provides snippets for commonly used Material-UI components, speeding up the development process.
   4. GitLens: Enhances Git capabilities within VSCode. It provides insights into code authorship, code reviews, and repository history.
   5. Live Server: Launches a local development server with live reload feature, enabling you to see changes in real-time.
3. For more detailed guidance on using VSCode, refer to the VSCode Documentation.

2. Node.js and npm

1. Download and install: Node.js is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine, while npm is the default package manager for Node.js. Download the latest version from the Node.js website.
2. Check installation: After installation, you can verify if Node.js and npm are installed correctly by running the following commands in your terminal. These commands will display the currently installed versions of Node.js and npm.

   node -v
   npm -v

3. Git

1. Download and install: Git is a version control system that allows you to track changes in your code. Download it from the Git website.
2. Basic setup: Sign up on the GitHub website
3. Create a new repository
   1. Give it a name and description
   2. Add a README file
   3. Click create
   4. Invite your teammates under Settings > Collaborators
4. We recommend using GitHub desktop to manage your files locally
5. For more comprehensive information on using Git, refer to the Git Documentation

4. Create React App

1. Setting up a new React project: Create React App is an officially supported way to create single-page React applications. It offers a modern build setup with no configuration.

   ```bash
   npx create-react-app my-hackathon-app
   cd my-hackathon-app
   npm start
   ```
   The `npx create-react-app` command sets up a new React project in a directory named `my-hackathon-app`. The `cd my-hackathon-app` command navigates into your project directory, and `npm start` starts the development server, making your application available at `http://localhost:3000`.
 - For more information on getting started with Create React App, refer to the [Create React App Documentation](https://create-react-app.dev/docs/getting-started/).

5. Material-UI
Install Material-UI: Material-UI is a popular React UI framework that implements Google's Material Design. It provides pre-built components that can help you build beautiful, responsive user interfaces quickly.

1. This command installs the core Material-UI library, along with Emotion, which is a library for writing CSS styles with JavaScript, and Material-UI Icons for using Material Design icons in your project.

   npm install @mui/material @emotion/react @emotion/styled @mui/icons-material

1. Material-UI offers a wide range of components such as buttons, grids, and dialogs. You can browse the available components and their usage on the Material-UI All Components page
2. For installation instructions and other documentation, visit the Material-UI Documentation

By following these steps, you will have a powerful and efficient development environment set up. Good luck!