proVisual Studio Code (VS Code) ShortCuts

Naeem Abdullah
2 min readJul 19, 2024

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Certainly! Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful and versatile code editor loved by many developers. Here are seven tips/hacks to enhance your productivity with VS Code:

  1. Customize and Master Shortcuts:
  • Key Bindings: Customize keyboard shortcuts via Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts or keybindings.json file.
  • Multi-Cursor Editing: Use Ctrl (or Cmd on macOS) + Alt + Arrow keys to add multiple cursors for simultaneous editing.
  1. Extensions for Efficiency:
  • Explore Extensions: VS Code has a rich marketplace (Extensions view or Ctrl + Shift + X) for extensions. Popular ones include Live Server, GitLens, and Prettier.
  • Snippets: Create and utilize code snippets to insert boilerplate code quickly. Define custom snippets in Preferences -> User Snippets.
  1. Integrated Terminal:
  • Use Ctrl + ``` to open an integrated terminal. This allows you to execute commands without leaving the editor, enhancing workflow efficiency.
  1. Version Control with Git:
  • VS Code integrates Git functionality seamlessly (Source Control view or Ctrl + Shift + G). Perform commits, pull, push, and resolve merge conflicts directly within the editor.
  1. Debugging Made Easy:
  • Utilize the built-in debugger (Run and Debug view or F5) for various languages and frameworks. Set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through code effortlessly.
  1. Customization and Settings:
  • Settings: Adjust VS Code settings (Preferences -> Settings or Ctrl + ,) to personalize your editor experience, including themes, font size, and editor behavior.
  • Themes and Icons: Explore and install themes and icon packs (Color Theme and File Icon Theme in settings) to suit your preferences and reduce eye strain.
  1. Useful Commands and Features:
  • Command Palette: Access all commands (Ctrl + Shift + P) to execute specific tasks, such as formatting code (Format Document), searching across files (File Search), or installing extensions (Extensions: Install Extensions).

These tips and hacks can significantly boost your productivity and streamline your coding experience in VS Code. Experiment with these features to find what works best for your workflow!

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