Visual Studio Code Documentation

Introduction to Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, lightweight, yet powerful source code editor developed by Microsoft. It runs on your desktop and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. With built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js, and an extensible ecosystem of extensions, VS Code is a versatile tool for modern web development and much more.

VS Code combines the simplicity of a source code editor with rich code-editing capabilities like IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration, making it a popular choice for developers across various languages and platforms.

Getting Started

To begin using Visual Studio Code, you first need to download and install it from the official website. Once installed, you can:

Open folders and projects.
Create new files or open existing ones.
Use the integrated terminal for command-line tasks.
Explore the marketplace for extensions to enhance your workflow.

The welcome page provides quick links to common tasks and resources to help you get started quickly.

Core Concepts

Understanding the core features of VS Code will help you leverage its full potential.

Editor Basics

The editor is the heart of VS Code. It provides features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and error checking. You can customize the editor's appearance, behavior, and keybindings to suit your preferences.

// Example: A simple JavaScript function
function greet(name) {
    console.log(`Hello, ${name}!`);
}

greet("Developer");
                        

IntelliSense

IntelliSense is a powerful code completion feature that provides intelligent suggestions as you type. It helps you discover and navigate APIs, autocompletes code, and provides parameter info, making coding faster and less error-prone.

It supports JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, HTML, CSS, SCSS, Less, and more out of the box.

Debugging

VS Code has a powerful built-in debugger that supports Node.js applications and can be extended to debug other languages and runtimes. You can set breakpoints, inspect variables, step through code, and view the call stack directly within the editor.

To start debugging:

Open your project folder.
Go to the Run and Debug view (Ctrl+Shift+D or Cmd+Shift+D).
Configure a launch.json file if needed, or start without one for simple Node.js applications.

Version Control (Git)

VS Code has excellent Git integration. The Source Control view (Ctrl+Shift+G or Cmd+Shift+G) allows you to stage, commit, push, and pull changes without leaving the editor. You can also see diffs and resolve merge conflicts visually.

Extensions

The VS Code Marketplace offers thousands of extensions that add new features, languages, themes, and tools. You can install extensions directly from within VS Code via the Extensions view.

Language Support

Add support for new programming languages like Python, Go, Java, and more.

Themes

Customize the look and feel of your editor with beautiful themes.

Linters & Formatters

Improve code quality and consistency with tools like ESLint and Prettier.

Debuggers

Extend debugging capabilities for various runtimes and frameworks.

Settings and Configuration

VS Code is highly configurable. You can access settings via File > Preferences > Settings (Code > Preferences > Settings on macOS) or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+, (Cmd+, on macOS).

Settings can be configured globally or per workspace. Common settings include:

Editor font size and family.
Tab size and behavior.
Theme selection.
Language-specific settings.

// Example settings.json snippet
{
    "editor.fontSize": 14,
    "editor.tabSize": 4,
    "workbench.colorTheme": "Default Dark+"
}
                    

Keyboard Shortcuts

Mastering keyboard shortcuts can significantly boost your productivity. You can view and customize keybindings via File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts (Code > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts on macOS) or Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Cmd+K Cmd+S on macOS).

Here are some essential shortcuts:

Ctrl+P (Cmd+P): Go to File
Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P): Show All Commands
Ctrl+`` (backtick): Toggle Integrated Terminal
Ctrl+B (Cmd+B): Toggle Sidebar Visibility
Ctrl+J (Cmd+J): Toggle Panel Visibility (Terminal, Output, etc.)