Visual Studio Code Tutorial for Beginners - Introduction

Visual Studio Code Tutorial for Beginners - Introduction

Welcome to this article where we will have a look at Visual Studio Code, not Visual Studio. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a code editor and we've been using it for quite a while now, and we actually like it. So, we thought, why not explore it together?

As I mentioned, Visual Studio Code is a code editor positioned somewhere between text editors like Atom and full-fledged IDEs like Visual Studio. This means it has all the functions you would expect when writing code and also provides some selected IDE features such as debugging. So, it's kind of a nice hybrid.

The cool thing is that Visual Studio Code is free and available for all platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download it at code.visualstudio.com. After downloading and installing, you should see a welcome screen that looks something like this:

[Visual representation of the welcome screen]

Opening Your First Project

Let’s open our first project. You can either select Open Folder in the start area or simply go to File > Open. Navigate to a folder of your choice, either an existing project or create a new one. Let's create a new folder named project-2 for this article. After selecting the folder, you will see the folder opened in VS Code.

[Visual representation of the open folder interface]

Interface Overview

Creating Files

You can create new files by clicking the new file icon in the sidebar and name it, for example, index.html. When you start typing, you’ll notice that Visual Studio Code supports auto-completion, making writing code more convenient with built-in tools like Emmet and IntelliSense.

Emmet and IntelliSense

Emmet allows for quick HTML generation. For example, typing html:5 and pressing Tab will create the basic HTML5 template. IntelliSense provides intelligent code suggestions which is especially useful for JavaScript and TypeScript.

[Code snippets showcasing Emmet and IntelliSense features]

Managing Files

You can manage multiple files efficiently. Double-clicking on a file keeps it open while single-clicking temporarily previews it. You can also split the editor and work with multiple files side by side by going to View > Split Editor.

[Visual representation of split editor interface]

Activity Bar and Extensions

The activity bar on the left includes options like Explorer, Search, Source Control (Git Integration), Debug, and Extensions. Extensions are powerful in VS Code. For example, to work with different frameworks or languages such as Angular or Python, you can install relevant extensions.

[Visual representation of activity bar options and extensions interface]

Terminal Integration

VS Code includes an integrated terminal that automatically navigates to your project folder. You can also create multiple terminals if needed.

[Visual representation of integrated terminal]

Customizing VS Code

Themes and Icons

You can customize the look of VS Code by changing themes and icons. Open the Command Palette (Shift + Command + P on macOS) and search for color theme or icon theme to choose different themes and icon sets.

[Visual representation showing different themes and icon sets]

Shortcuts and Key Bindings

VS Code is packed with shortcuts. You can view and customize them by going to File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. Some useful shortcuts include:

• Open Command Palette: Shift + Command + P
• Toggle Integrated Terminal: `Ctrl + ```
• Format Document: Shift + Alt + F

[Visual representation showcasing the shortcuts settings menu]

Working with Settings

VS Code's settings are very customizable:

• User Settings apply globally across all projects.
• Workspace Settings apply only to the workspace and can override user settings.

You can also save your workspace settings for multiple projects. This way, you can manage specific settings for frontend and backend code separately but access them conveniently in one instance of VS Code.

[Visual representation showing how workspace settings apply to multiple projects]

Conclusion

We’ve given you an introduction to Visual Studio Code highlighting its interface, customizability, and powerful extensions. There is much more to explore and learn in VS Code to make coding more efficient and enjoyable. Be sure to check the official documentation for more in-depth guidance.

As always, thanks a lot for reading and happy coding!

Keywords

• Visual Studio Code
• Code editor
• Emmet
• IntelliSense
• Customization
• Themes
• Shortcuts
• Extensions
• Integrated Terminal
• User Settings
• Workspace Settings

FAQ

Q: What platforms is Visual Studio Code available for? A: Visual Studio Code is available for all platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Q: How can I open multiple files simultaneously? A: You can open multiple files by double-clicking on them or use the split editor view under View > Split Editor.

Q: What are Emmet and IntelliSense? A: Emmet allows for quick HTML generation with shortcuts, and IntelliSense provides intelligent code suggestions.

Q: Can I customize the look of VS Code? A: Yes, you can customize themes and icons from the Command Palette (Shift + Command + P).

Q: How can I manage workspace and user settings? A: User settings apply globally, while workspace settings apply only to specific workspaces and can override user settings. You can save your workspace settings by going to File > Save Workspace As.

Q: How do I install extensions? A: You can install extensions from the Extensions view in the activity bar or by searching for specific extensions in the Command Palette.

Q: Is there an integrated terminal in VS Code? A: Yes, VS Code has an integrated terminal that you can open using `Ctrl + ``` shortcut.

Remember to explore more in the official Visual Studio Code documentation.