Are you tired of wasting precious time navigating through menus and searching for commands in VS Code? As a developer, you know that every second counts. That's where keyboard shortcuts come in. By using keyboard shortcuts, you can perform common tasks quickly and efficiently, without ever having to take your hands off the keyboard. In this article, we'll show you the most useful keyboard shortcuts that every developer should know in VS Code, so you can streamline your workflow and maximize your productivity. Let's dive in.
![VS Code Hacks: How to Customize Keyboard Shortcuts for Your Workflow]()
Why Knowing Keyboard Shortcuts is Important for Developers
As a developer, you are likely spending a significant amount of time coding in VS Code. Every second counts, and using keyboard shortcuts can help you save time and increase productivity.
With keyboard shortcuts, you can perform common tasks quickly and easily, without ever having to take your hands off the keyboard or search through menus. This means you can keep your focus on the task at hand, and avoid distractions that can slow you down.
For example, tasks like copying and pasting code, navigating through your codebase, and selecting multiple lines of code can be performed much more quickly with keyboard shortcuts than with a mouse. By using keyboard shortcuts, you can complete these tasks in just a fraction of the time it would take you to do them manually.
In addition to saving time, using keyboard shortcuts can also help you maintain your flow and concentration. When you are in the zone, having to break your focus to search for a command in a menu can be frustrating and distracting. With keyboard shortcuts, you can keep your momentum going and stay in the flow, allowing you to be more productive and effective in your work.
Overall, knowing keyboard shortcuts is an essential skill for any developer who wants to be productive and efficient in their work. By mastering these shortcuts, you can streamline your workflow, save time, and stay focused on what really matters: writing great code.
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
Now that we've covered why keyboard shortcuts are important, let's dive into some of the essential shortcuts that every developer should know in VS Code.
Basic editing commands are some of the most frequently used shortcuts in any text editor. These include commands like copy, cut, paste, undo, and redo. By using these shortcuts, you can quickly and easily manipulate your code without ever having to take your hands off the keyboard.
Navigation commands are also essential for moving around your codebase efficiently. These shortcuts allow you to quickly jump to the beginning or end of a line, move to the next or previous word, or jump to a specific line number. By mastering these shortcuts, you can move through your code quickly and easily, without ever losing your place.
Selection commands are also important for editing your code quickly and efficiently. With these shortcuts, you can select a single word, a line of code, or even your entire codebase with just a few keystrokes. This can be especially useful when making large-scale edits or refactoring your code.
Here are some of the most useful essential keyboard shortcuts to get you started:
- Copy: Ctrl + C (Windows/Linux), Command + C (Mac)
- Cut: Ctrl + X (Windows/Linux), Command + X (Mac)
- Paste: Ctrl + V (Windows/Linux), Command + V (Mac)
- Undo: Ctrl + Z (Windows/Linux), Command + Z (Mac)
- Redo: Ctrl + Shift + Z (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + Z (Mac)
- Move to beginning of line: Home (Windows/Linux/Mac)
- Move to end of line: End (Windows/Linux/Mac)
- Move to next word: Ctrl + Right Arrow (Windows/Linux), Option + Right Arrow (Mac)
- Move to previous word: Ctrl + Left Arrow (Windows/Linux), Option + Left Arrow (Mac)
- Go to line number: Ctrl + G (Windows/Linux), Command + G (Mac)
- Select word: Ctrl + D (Windows/Linux), Command + D (Mac)
- Select line: Ctrl + L (Windows/Linux), Command + L (Mac)
- Select all: Ctrl + A (Windows/Linux), Command + A (Mac)
- Find: Ctrl + F (Windows/Linux), Command + F (Mac) : This command allows you to search for a specific word or phrase within your code, and it can be useful for navigating through large files or finding specific lines of code.
- Replace: Ctrl + H (Windows/Linux), Command + Option + F (Mac) : This command allows you to search and replace a specific word or phrase within your code. You can use this command to make global changes to your codebase or fix errors that occur throughout your code.
- Find in files: Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + F (Mac) : This command allows you to search for a specific word or phrase within all of the files in your project. You can use this command to find specific lines of code or to make global changes to your codebase.
- Replace in files: Ctrl + Shift + H (Windows/Linux), Command + Option + Shift + F (Mac) : This command allows you to search and replace a specific word or phrase within all of the files in your project. You can use this command to make global changes to your codebase or to fix errors that occur throughout your code.
Mastering these essential keyboard shortcuts will help you become more efficient and productive in your work as a developer. In the next section, we'll cover some more advanced keyboard shortcuts that can help you take your productivity to the next level.
VS Code Usability Keyboard Shortcuts
VS Code has some built-in shortcuts you can use to make it easier to work with your code and projects. I use these every day in my workflow.
- Quick Open: Ctrl + P (Windows/Linux), Command + P (Mac) : This command allows you to quickly open a file or folder by typing its name into the search bar. It can be useful for navigating through large codebases or finding specific files.
- Show/Hide Terminal: Ctrl + (Windows/Linux), Command + (Mac) : This command allows you to show or hide the integrated terminal in VS Code. You can use this command to quickly access the terminal without switching to another application.
- Toggle Fullscreen: F11 (Windows/Linux/Mac) : This command allows you to toggle fullscreen mode in VS Code. You can use this command to maximize your workspace and minimize distractions while you work.
VS Code's sidebar panels, such as the Explorer, Search, and Git panels, can be essential for navigating your codebase and managing your projects. However, they can also take up valuable screen real estate, and you may want to hide them temporarily to maximize your workspace. Fortunately, VS Code provides several keyboard shortcuts that allow you to toggle these sidebar panels quickly and easily.
Here are some of the most useful sidebar panel toggling commands in VS Code:
- Show/Hide Sidebar: Ctrl + B (Windows/Linux), Command + B (Mac) : This command allows you to show or hide the sidebar in VS Code. You can use this command to maximize your workspace or to quickly access your file explorer, search bar, and other panels.
- Toggle Explorer: Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + E (Mac) : This command allows you to show or hide the Explorer panel, which displays the files and folders in your project.
- Toggle Search: Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + F (Mac) : This command allows you to show or hide the Search panel, which allows you to search for specific words or phrases in your codebase.
- Toggle Git: Ctrl + Shift + G (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + G (Mac) : This command allows you to show or hide the Git panel, which allows you to manage your Git repositories and view changes to your code.
- Debug: Ctrl + Shift + D (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + D (Mac) : This command allows you to launch the debugging functionality in VS Code, which can help you identify and fix errors in your code.
By mastering these shortcuts, you can easily toggle the sidebar panels in VS Code and maximize your workspace to focus on your code.
In addition to the built-in keyboard shortcuts in VS Code, many extensions also add their own keyboard shortcuts for specific functionality. For example, the "Prettier" extension adds keyboard shortcuts for formatting your code automatically, while the "Live Share" extension adds shortcuts for sharing your workspace with other developers in real time.
To view the keyboard shortcuts for a specific extension, you can open the "Keyboard Shortcuts" panel and search for the extension by name. You can then customize these shortcuts to fit your workflow and preferences, or simply familiarize yourself with them to make the most of the extension's functionality.
By exploring the additional keyboard shortcuts offered by extensions, you can further customize your workflow and optimize your productivity in VS Code.
Advanced Keyboard Shortcuts
In addition to the essential keyboard shortcuts, VS Code also offers a range of more advanced shortcuts that can help you take your productivity to the next level.
Multi-cursor commands are one such set of shortcuts. With multi-cursor commands, you can add a cursor above or below your current cursor, or select all occurrences of a particular word or phrase in your code. This can be incredibly useful when making changes to multiple lines of code at once, or when refactoring large portions of your codebase.
Code navigation commands are also essential for working efficiently in VS Code. These shortcuts allow you to quickly jump to the definition of a particular function or variable, or to peek at the definition without losing your place in the code. You can also jump to a specific symbol in your codebase, whether it's a function, variable, or class.
Code formatting commands can also help you keep your codebase clean and organized. With these shortcuts, you can format your entire document or just a selection of code to follow best practices for indentation, spacing, and more. This can be especially useful when working on a codebase with multiple contributors, or when trying to ensure consistency across your codebase.
Here are some of the most useful advanced keyboard shortcuts in VS Code:
- Add cursor above: Ctrl + Alt + Up (Windows/Linux), Option + Shift + Up (Mac) : These commands allow you to add additional cursors above or below your current cursor, which can be useful for editing multiple lines of code simultaneously.
- Add cursor below: Ctrl + Alt + Down (Windows/Linux), Option + Shift + Down (Mac) : This command allows you to add an additional cursor below your current cursor, which can be useful for editing multiple lines of code simultaneously.
- Select all occurrences: Ctrl + Shift + L (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + L (Mac) : This command allows you to select all occurrences of a particular word or phrase in your code, which can be useful for making global changes or refactoring your codebase.
- Go to definition: F12 (Windows/Linux/Mac) : This command allows you to jump to the definition of a particular function or variable in your codebase, which can be useful for understanding how a particular piece of code works or for making changes to the code.
- Peek definition: Alt + F12 (Windows/Linux/Mac) : This command allows you to view the definition of a particular function or variable without leaving your current code view, which can be useful for quickly referencing code while you are working.
- Go to symbol: Ctrl + Shift + O (Windows/Linux), Command + Shift + O (Mac) : This command allows you to jump to a specific symbol (such as a function, variable, or class) in your codebase, which can be useful for quickly navigating to different parts of your codebase.
- Format document: Shift + Alt + F (Windows/Linux), Shift + Option + F (Mac) : This command formats your entire document to follow best practices for indentation, spacing, and more, which can be useful for ensuring consistency across your codebase.
- Format selection: Ctrl + K Ctrl + F (Windows/Linux), Command + K Command + F (Mac) : This command formats only the selected code to follow best practices for indentation, spacing, and more, which can be useful for quickly formatting code snippets while you are working.
The Format Document command is probably the one I use the most. It keeps my code aligned and spaced nicely. This makes the code readable and keeps me from adding extra closing braces or HTML elements!
By mastering these advanced keyboard shortcuts, you can become even more efficient and productive in your work as a developer. In the next section, we'll cover how you can customize your keyboard shortcuts to fit your own workflow and preferences.
Debugger Commands
In addition to keyboard shortcuts for editing, navigating, and formatting your code, VS Code also offers a range of debugger commands that can help you debug your code more quickly and efficiently. If you know how to use the debugger in Visual Studio or browser developer tools these should be familiar.
Here are some of the most useful debugger commands in VS Code:
- Toggle breakpoint: F9 (Windows/Linux/Mac). This command allows you to add or remove a breakpoint in your code, which can help you pause execution and inspect the state of your code.
- Step over: F10 (Windows/Linux/Mac). This command allows you to execute the next line of code in your program, without entering into any functions that are called by that line of code.
- Step into: F11 (Windows/Linux/Mac). This command allows you to enter into the function that is called by the current line of code, so you can step through that function line by line.
- Step out: Shift + F11 (Windows/Linux/Mac). This command allows you to step out of the current function and return to the calling function.
- Continue: F5 (Windows/Linux/Mac). This command allows you to continue execution of your code until the next breakpoint is encountered.
By mastering these debugger commands, you can more easily identify and fix bugs in your code, and become a more efficient and effective developer.
In the next section, we'll cover how you can customize your keyboard shortcuts to fit your own workflow and preferences.
Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
VS Code offers a range of built-in keyboard shortcuts, but you can also customize these shortcuts to fit your own workflow and preferences. Customizing your shortcuts can help you work more efficiently and effectively, and can help you avoid conflicts with existing shortcuts.
To customize your keyboard shortcuts in VS Code, follow these steps:
Open the "Keyboard Shortcuts" panel by selecting "Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts" from the Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows/Linux, Command + Shift + P on Mac).
Search for the command you want to customize by typing its name into the search bar.
Click on the command to select it, and then click on the pencil icon next to the shortcut.
Enter your desired shortcut, either by typing it in or by pressing the keys you want to use.
Click "Enter" to save your new shortcut.
When choosing your own keyboard shortcuts, there are a few tips you can keep in mind to help you work more efficiently:
Choose shortcuts that are easy to remember and easy to type. Shortcuts that are too complex or difficult to type quickly can slow you down and make you less productive.
Avoid conflicts with existing shortcuts. Before choosing a new shortcut, make sure it doesn't conflict with any existing shortcuts in VS Code or in other applications you use.
Prioritize the commands you use most frequently. Customizing shortcuts for the commands you use most frequently can help you save the most time and be the most productive.
By customizing your keyboard shortcuts in VS Code, you can optimize your workflow and become even more efficient and productive as a developer.
Conclusion
In this article, we've covered a range of essential keyboard shortcuts for VS Code that can help you become more efficient and productive in your work as a developer. From basic editing commands to advanced multi-cursor and code navigation commands, these shortcuts can help you streamline your workflow and avoid distractions that can slow you down.
We've also covered how you can customize your keyboard shortcuts to fit your own workflow and preferences, and how you can use debugger commands to debug your code more quickly and efficiently.
In summary, here are some of the most important keyboard shortcuts to remember:
- Basic editing commands: copy, cut, paste, undo, redo
- Navigation commands: move to beginning/end of line, move to next/previous word
- Selection commands: select word, select line, select all
- Multi-cursor commands: add cursor above/below, select all occurrences
- Code navigation commands: go to definition, peek definition, go to symbol
- Code formatting commands: format document, format selection
- Debugger commands: toggle breakpoint, step over, step into, step out, continue
By mastering these keyboard shortcuts, you can save time, maintain your flow, and become a more efficient and effective developer. So, start practicing these shortcuts today and see how they can improve your productivity in VS Code!
Q: Can I create my own keyboard shortcuts in VS Code? A: Yes, you can customize keyboard shortcuts in VS Code by opening the "Keyboard Shortcuts" panel and following the steps outlined in the article.
Q: How do I know which keyboard shortcuts to use? A: The keyboard shortcuts outlined in this article are some of the most commonly used shortcuts in VS Code, but you can also explore the full list of shortcuts in the "Keyboard Shortcuts" panel or experiment with different shortcuts to find what works best for you.
Q: How do I use debugger commands in VS Code? A: Debugger commands allow you to debug your code more quickly and efficiently. The article outlines some of the most useful debugger commands in VS Code, including toggle breakpoint, step over, step into, step out, and continue.
Q: How can keyboard shortcuts improve my productivity as a developer? A: Keyboard shortcuts can help you save time, maintain your flow, and avoid distractions that can slow you down. By using keyboard shortcuts, you can streamline your workflow and become more efficient and effective in your work as a developer.
Q: Can I use the same keyboard shortcuts in other code editors or IDEs? A: Keyboard shortcuts may differ across different code editors or IDEs, but many of the shortcuts outlined in this article are commonly used across multiple tools. However, it's always a good idea to check the documentation or settings of a particular tool to confirm the keyboard shortcuts you want to use.