VS Code#

Table of Contents

Resources#

See also

Visual Studio Code Docs

  • Intro > Getting Started Video
    Five minute hello world tour which happens to use Python.

  • User Guide > User Interface
    High level guide to the layout and what each part does.

  • Getting Started > Tips and Tricks
    Introduction to some of the most essential features such as the command palette, quick open, zen mode; editor shortcuts like how to select a line or quickly move or copy it up or down; and navigating around and between files via code symbols and history.

  • User Guide > Basic Editing
    Oddly focuses less on editing than the Tips and Tricks page. Searching and replacing within and across files, advanced selection, formatting and indentation.

  • User Guide > Code Navigation
    Covers the powerful features for quickly finding and getting to the right parts of your codebase via quick open, toggling history and open editors, breadcrumbs, and code navigation. Briefly mentions navigating errors and quick fixes.

  • Python Tutorial
    The tutorial for writing Python using VS Code. A great deal of it is either installation and setup or focused on features we aren’t using like Jupyter Notebooks or Django. However, following the Hello World steps could be helpful.

  • Editing Python in Visual Studio Code
    Covers the editor features provided by the Python extension.

  • Visual Studio Code Docs
    VS Code documentation home page.

Third party tutorials

  • Visual Studio Code Python for Beginners: Hello World & Beyond
    An intro to VS Code for Python beginners. It’s made by a professional programmer who doesn’t know Python so you get to see him figure things out as he goes along. (Recorded by a Windows user.)

  • Learn Python 3: Visual Studio Code for Beginners
    An in-depth walk-through via a Python hello world script. Covers core features like the activity bar, file explorer, terminal, split editors, command palette, settings, and workspaces. Python specific topics selecting an interpreter, linter, and formatter using virtual environments. (Recorded by a Windows user.)

  • Visual Studio Code Crash Course
    An in-depth walk-through of core features like layout, search and replace, file navigation, keyboard shortcuts, customizations, the terminal and SCM. It’s detailed with well labeled time markers so it’s easy to skip around. (Recorded by a Mac user.)

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts#

Editor

Shortcut

Action

⌘L

Select line

⇧⌘K

Delete line

⌘/

Toggle (un/)comment line

Navigation

Shortcut

Action

⇧⌘P

Command Palette

⌘P

Quick Open File

⌘B

Toggle Sidebar

⌘J

Toggle Panel

⌃`

Toggle Terminal

Editor

Shortcut

Reverse

Action

⌘Enter

⇧⌘Enter

Add line (above, below)

⌥↑

⌥↓

Move line (up, down)

⇧⌥↑

⇧⌥↓

Copy line (up, down)

⌘]

⌘[

(Indent, Outdent)

⌘Z

⇧⌘Z

(Undo, Redo)
Key

⌘

Command

⌃

Control

⌥

Option

⇧

Shift

↑

Up arrow

↓

Down arrow

See also

Extensions#

Install the python-class extension pack.

Suggested Settings#

Below are some of the settings that I prefer and recommend. Each section includes a description of what the change will do followed by the setting(s) to change.

Instructions#

You can change your settings by either modifying your settings.json file or using the Settings UI, whichever you find easiest.

On the left side of each section is a JSON dictionary containing the relevant settings for the settings.json file.

Add the contents of the dictionary for the setting you want to change from this document into the dictionary in your settings.json file.

  1. Use the Preferences: Open Settings (JSON) command from the command palette to open your settings.json file.

  2. Make sure there’s a , at the end of the last line inside the dictionary in the settings.json file.

  3. Copy the the part of the JSON from this document that is inside the { }.

  4. Paste it inside the dictionary in the settings.json file, just above the last } in the file.

On the right side of each section is a list of relevant settings from the Settings UI.

Each shows the category that the setting is listed under from left of the Settings UI followed by the setting name and value.

../_images/vscode-settings-ui.png

  1. Use the Preferences: Open Settings (UI) command from the command palette.

  2. Copy the setting title from this document and paste it in the Search settings input box.

    You can confirm that it is the correct setting by checking the categories on the left of the Settings UI against the path listed to the setting in this document.

  3. Change the value of the setting to match value show on the right of the setting in this document.

See also

Hide Open Editors#

In the Explorer don’t show the “open editors” section.

Listing 712 settings.json#
{
    "explorer.openEditors.visible": 0
}

Minimap#

Make the minimap prettier and hide it by default. (You can open it using the View: Toggle Minimap command.)

Listing 713 settings.json#
{
    "editor.minimap.enabled": false,
    "editor.minimap.renderCharacters": false,
    "editor.minimap.maxColumn": 200,
    "editor.minimap.showSlider": "always"
}

Reduce preview mode#

When opening files via Quick Open (⌘P / ⌃P) don’t start in preview mode.

Listing 714 settings.json#
{
    "workbench.editor.enablePreviewFromQuickOpen": false
}

Autosave#

Enable auto-save.

Listing 715 settings.json#
{
    "files.autoSave": "afterDelay"
}

Disable notices#

Disable tips and startup pages.

Listing 716 settings.json#
{
    "workbench.startupEditor": "none",
    "workbench.tips.enabled": false,
    "python.showStartPage": false
}

Live Share#

Don’t add Live Share guests names to your git commit messages.

Listing 717 settings.json#
{
    "liveshare.populateGitCoAuthors": "never"
}

Highlight cursor line#

In the editor highlight the line your cursor is currently on.

Listing 718 settings.json#
{
    "editor.renderLineHighlight": "all",
    "editor.renderLineHighlightOnlyWhenFocus": true
}

Disable suggestions#

Suggestions are a great feature but they may interfere with retaining information as you’re learning. They can make the interface a bit noisy. These settings disable them, though they can still be triggered using a shortcut key.

Listing 719 settings.json#
{
    "editor.acceptSuggestionOnCommitCharacter": false,
    "editor.suggestOnTriggerCharacters": false,
    "editor.parameterHints.enabled": false,
    "editor.quickSuggestions": {
        "other": false,
        "comments": false,
        "strings": false
    },
}

Git#

Automatically fetch updates from the default remote of the current Git repository.

Listing 720 settings.json#
{
    "git.autofetch": true,
}

Themes#

Dark#

One Dark Pro Monokai Darker

Dolch Dark

Verdandi Alter Customized

Azure Dark

Black Ocean

Medium#

Nord Extra Dark

Subliminal

Pretentious Name

Mario Color

Light#

One Dark Raincoat Light

Dolch Light

1

edit in settings.json