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Within the community of software engineers all around the world, Visual Studio Code has garnered widespread praise and enthusiastic acceptance, making it a code editor that stands out as a significant contender. The Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that was meticulously crafted by Microsoft is capable of facilitating cross-platform coding in a seamless manner, expanding its capabilities to environments that are compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows. Because of its pervasiveness in the field of modern development, it is a vital ally for developers who are attempting to navigate the complexities of modern code landscapes.
When one begins the process of maximising the potential of Visual Studio Code, they are confronted with a plethora of features and options, each of which promises to improve the overall experience of software development. There remains, however, the issue of keeping up with the most recent nuances, shortcuts, and techniques that might truly unlock the editor’s full potential. This challenge arises despite the number of resources available. In order to successfully navigate this vast digital universe, one must not only possess the necessary skills, but also have a solid awareness of the tools that are available to them.
Having recognised this requirement, I have compiled a list of six keyboard shortcuts and creative tricks, drawing from my own personal experiences to provide you with this intelligent compilation. These tidbits of knowledge have been meticulously selected with the intention of providing you, the developer, with the techniques necessary to improve your productivity and derive the greatest possible benefit from Visual Studio Code. In the course of this investigation, you should be prepared for a journey that goes beyond the typical use of the term. This journey will provide a nuanced view on how to code in a way that is more than merely effective; it will teach you how to code with delicacy and expertise.
What is VSCode?
Visual Studio Code, more commonly referred to as VS Code, is a text editor developed by Microsoft that is open source and free to use. There are versions of Visual Studio Code for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Despite the fact that the editor is not particularly heavy, it is packed with a number of strong features that have contributed to Visual Studio Code’s status as one of the most widely used development environment tools in recent years.
Best VSCode Keyboard Shortcuts
One of the most well-known editors available, Visual Studio Code is employed by software professionals located in every single location of the world. Microsoft was the first company to create an integrated development environment (IDE) that is compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms. This fantastic piece of software was built by Microsoft. As a result of the rise of cross-platform applications, a substantial number of programmers are turning to Visual Studio Code for the development of their own personal or corporate applications. This trend is expected to continue.
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + P | Quick Open |
Ctrl + Tab | Switch between opened files |
Ctrl + B | Toggle Sidebar |
Ctrl + 1-9 | Switch to specific tab |
Ctrl + G | Go to Line Number |
Ctrl + F2 | Add/Edit multiple cursors |
Code Editing Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + Space | Trigger suggestion |
Ctrl + . | Quick fix/suggestion |
Ctrl + Shift + K | Delete line |
Alt + Shift + Up/Down | Copy line up/down |
Alt + Shift + Drag | Column (box) selection |
Ctrl + D | Select word (repeat to select next occurrence) |
General Shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description |
---|---|
Ctrl + ` | Show/hide the terminal |
Ctrl + N | New File |
Ctrl + O | Open File |
Ctrl + S | Save |
Ctrl + Shift + S | Save As |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo |
Ctrl + X | Cut |
Ctrl + C | Copy |
Ctrl + V | Paste |
Ctrl + F | Find |
Ctrl + H | Replace |
Ctrl + / | Toggle Line Comment |
Alt + Up/Down | Move line(s) up/down |
Ctrl + Shift + \ | Jump to matching bracket |
Debugging:
Description | Windows/Linux Shortcut |
Start Debugging | F5 |
Toggle Breakpoint | F9 |
Step Over | F10 |
Step Into | F11 |
Edit Operations:
Windows/Linux Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + Shift + Z | Cmd + Shift + Z | Redo |
Ctrl + X | Cmd + X | Cut |
Ctrl + C | Cmd + C | Copy |
Ctrl + V | Cmd + V | Paste |
Ctrl + A | Cmd + A | Select All |
Ctrl + F | Cmd + F | Find |
Ctrl + H | Cmd + H | Replace |
Getting Started with VSCode
Getting started with Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a simple procedure, and it is a flexible code editor that supports a broad variety of programming languages. VSCode is a great tool for developers. Take a look at the following step-by-step guide to get you started with Visual Studio Code:
- Open Visual Studio Code: It is recommended that you launch Visual Studio Code once the installation process has been finished. In most cases, you will be able to locate it with the apps or the Start menu.
- Investigate the Interface: At this point, you should become acquainted with the VSCode interface. Here are the primary areas: the Editor, which is where you write your code; the Activity Bar, which is located on the side; the Side Bar, which contains the file explorer and extensions; and the Status Bar, which is located at the bottom.
- The functionality of Visual Studio Code can be improved through the use of extensions. Depending on the requirements of your code, investigate and install extensions. To access extensions, either use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) to access them. Alternatively, you can click on the Extensions icon that is located in the Activity Bar.
- Settings It is possible to personalise the settings of VSCode by clicking on the gear icon located in the Side Bar and selecting “Settings.” 1. An additional option is to make use of the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+ (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+ (Mac). You can customise the settings to fit your preferences, including the theme, the size of the font, and the key bindings.
- Integrated Terminal: VSCode includes an integrated terminal as part of its set of features. In order to access it, you may either choose View -> Terminal or utilise the shortcut Ctrl+. You are able to execute command-line commands directly within VSCode by using the terminal functionality.
- You can open a project or file by selecting File -> Open… or by using the shortcut Ctrl+O or Cmd+O (Mac). When you open a project or file, you can do one of these things. Find the folder or file that you wish to open and navigate to it.
- Create a New File You can create a new file by opening the File menu and selecting New File, or you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+N (Mac).
- To begin the process of basic text editing, begin typing code into the editor. In order to improve your overall coding experience, Visual Studio Code (VSCode) includes tools such as syntax highlighting and autocompletion.
Questions and Answers
In order to find “Keyboard Shortcuts” in Visual Studio Code, you must first open the Command Palette by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P. This will display a list of all of the shortcuts that are available to you along with their explanations. Cheat Sheets: There are a lot of various web resources that provide cheat sheets that provide the most helpful shortcuts. You can discover them in the form of text, photographs, or even apps that allow you to interact with them. The most effective method for acquiring shortcuts is to make use of them on a consistent basis. It is recommended that you make every effort to replace mouse clicks with keyboard shortcuts anytime you are working with VSCode.
Although it is true that Visual Studio Code offers extensions that enable users to make use of keyboard shortcuts from well-known editors like Sublime Text, Vim, and Emacs, it is also true that these extensions are available. These extensions will be available for purchase via the VS Code Marketplace, which is where you will do so.