Boost your coding productivity using Visual Studio Code
extensions, debugging tools, and customization features.
VS Code is a free, lightweight, and powerful source code editor developed by Microsoft. It supports multiple programming languages, extensions, Git integration, debugging, and more.
Download from https://code.visualstudio.com
To open a folder or project:
Right-click inside the Explorer and select New File. Name the file and begin typing your code.
VS Code supports various themes for a better coding experience.
Ctrl+Shift+P)
Color Theme and choose your preferred themeExtensions add support for languages, themes, debuggers, linters, and frameworks.
Access a terminal directly inside VS Code.
View → Terminal (or Ctrl + `)
# Use it like a normal command-line interface
Open files side-by-side using the split editor.
Automatically saves your file when changes are made.
VS Code provides intelligent code completion and suggestions.
Ctrl+Space to see
suggestions
VS Code has built-in support for Git version control.
Debug your code directly in the editor.
F5
Configure VS Code behavior using settings.
Ctrl+,
For fine-grained control, use settings.json.
Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)
{
"editor.fontSize": 16,
"editor.tabSize": 2
}
Workspace-specific settings override user settings for a particular project.
.vscode/settings.json inside the
folder
Quick navigation and file actions using the explorer.
A code preview on the right side of the editor.
"editor.minimap.enabled": false
Distraction-free coding environment that hides UI elements.
View → Appearance → Zen Mode or
Ctrl+K Z
Esc Esc to exitWrite HTML and CSS faster using Emmet abbreviations.
Type: ul>li*5 and press Tab
Output: <ul><li></li>...</ul>
Automatically formats your code according to rules.
Shift+Alt+F
Used for real-time preview of HTML/CSS/JS changes in the browser.
Snippets are reusable code templates you can insert quickly.
"Print to console": {
"prefix": "log",
"body": ["console.log('$1');"],
"description": "Log output to console"
}
Allows editing multiple lines at once.
Alt (Windows/Linux) or Option (Mac)
and click in multiple places
Ctrl + Alt + ↓ / ↑ to add cursorsWork on remote servers or containers from VS Code.
Security feature that controls what code can run in a project folder.
Shows a tree structure of your current file's contents (functions, classes, etc.).
Quickly see or jump to a function/variable's definition.
Alt+F12
Use shortcuts to speed up development:
Ctrl+P: Quick file openCtrl+Shift+P: Open Command PaletteCtrl+Shift+F: Search across filesAlt+Shift+F: Format documentRun VS Code from a USB drive with user settings and extensions included.
data folder inside the extracted folderCode.exe — all data stays in that folderComprehensive and up-to-date guides on every feature of VS Code including debugging, settings, Git, and extensions.
https://code.visualstudio.com/docs
If you want to build custom extensions or integrate with VS Code, this API documentation is for you.
https://code.visualstudio.com/api
Search and explore thousands of official and community-made extensions for every development need.
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/vscode
The open-source code base of VS Code is hosted on GitHub.
https://github.com/microsoft/vscode
A great guide with tips, shortcuts, and productivity tricks directly from the creators.
https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-tips-and-tricks
Watch tutorials, feature demos, and live sessions by the official VS Code team.
https://www.youtube.com/c/Code
A curated list of extensions, themes, tools, and resources for VS Code maintained by the community.