Using a 525MB SQL file to test, we found that VS Code opened the file several seconds faster than other editors. Some people report that VS Code is slower at opening large files than other editors, but in our testing we found the reverse to be true. For example, if you had a package.json file open, it would show you the scripts and dependencies arrays which could be expanded and collapsed to show their contents. There is also an Outline menu item that gives you a navigable overview of the file.

When you have a file open, another menu appears at the bottom of the explorer panel, which shows you the Timeline for the file-a history of all the commits that file has been included in. The status bar in the bottom left corner of the window also shows you which Git branch you’re in, and you can change branches by clicking on the branch name. The panel also shows which files have been deleted and which are untracked. Clicking on any of the buttons for the already enabled view will cause the panel to close completely to increase your coding area.įor those who work with source control, that panel will show you how many files have been changed, and clicking on any file will show you the diff for the file. By default, you’ll be in Explorer view for working with files and folders, but there are also views for Search, Source Control, Run and Debug, and Extensions. VS Code’s interface also includes another toolbar on the far left with buttons to change your view. The default view will show you your folders and files in the left column with the actual coding workspace in the large column on the right.

The interface for VS Code will be familiar to you if you’ve used a coding editor before. The Quick Setup will guide you through picking a theme, adding coding languages and other extensions, turning on settings sync so that your settings can be synced across devices, and finally, opening a project to start work.

The VS Code Quick Setup guide (Image credit: Microsoft) Interface and in useĪ good place to start to get familiar with what Microsoft VS Code offers is the Getting Started Quick Setup, which can be accessed from the Help menu.

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