This article aims to provide instructions on how to call the VS Code Editor from the terminal or command line, offering a more efficient workflow for users.
The article is divided into four groups of information.
Group 1 presents various commands that can be used to open VS Code, including commands for different operating systems and specific file-related commands.
Group 2 focuses on the installation and configuration of VS Code for command line use. This includes processes such as downloading and installing VS Code, adding it to system environment variables, and creating symbolic links or extracting and creating links on Mac and Linux.
Group 3 provides platform-specific instructions. It details the steps for downloading and moving VS Code to the Applications folder on Mac, extracting and running it on Linux, and using CMD or creating a .bat file on Windows.
Lastly, Group 4 offers additional tips and information. This includes the cross-platform nature of VS Code, opening it from PowerShell or CMD, and the absence of a built-in compare feature.
By following the instructions provided in this article, users can enhance their productivity and flexibility in utilizing the VS Code Editor.
Opening VS Code
To open the VS Code editor from the command line, various commands can be used depending on the operating system.
For Windows, Linux, and Mac terminals, the command ‘code’ can be used.
For Notepad++ in Windows CMD, the command ‘start notepad++ test.txt’ can be used.
For the insiders build, the command ‘code-insiders’ can be used.
It is also possible to open VS Code with a specific file using the command ‘code -n D:myTextFile.txt’.
To open a file in a new window, the command ‘code -n filename’ can be used.
To open a file in an already opened window, the command ‘code -r filename’ is used.
For debugging, the command ‘code -g filename’ is utilized.
The command ‘code .’ can be used to open VS Code in the current folder.
The command ‘code -d file1 file2’ can be used to compare files.
Installing and configuring
Installing and configuring VS Code for command line use involves several steps:
- Downloading VS Code from the Microsoft website.
- Installing the necessary shell commands.
- Adjusting system environment variables or creating symbolic links depending on the operating system.
To get started, users need to download VS Code from the Microsoft website. After installation, they can enable the ‘Shell Command: Install code command in PATH’ option, which adds the ‘code’ command to the system’s PATH.
In order to use VS Code from the command line, it may be necessary to restart the terminal.
On Windows, users have a couple of options. They can add VS Code to the system’s environment variables or create a .bat file with the VS Code path in C:WindowsSystem32.
On Mac, users need to download, expand, and move VS Code to the Applications folder.
On Linux, users can extract and run VS Code. They can also create a symbolic link to run it from the terminal.
It is worth noting that opening VS Code from the Mac terminal can sometimes present permission issues.
Additionally, there are specific instructions for certain installation scenarios. For snap installation on Linux, users should add ‘/snap/bin’ to the PATH. For Portable Mode installation on Windows, the ‘bin’ folder of the portable location can be added to the PATH.
Specific instructions
Specific instructions for using VS Code from the command line involve:
- Downloading the software
- Configuring the necessary settings
- Adjusting system variables or creating symbolic links, depending on the operating system
On Mac:
- Download and expand VS Code.
- Move it to the Applications folder.
On Linux:
- Extract and run VS Code.
- Create a link to run it from the terminal.
On Windows:
- Use the ‘CMD start vscode://file/path/to/file’ command to open a file in VS Code.
- Create a .bat file with the VS Code path in C:WindowsSystem32.
- Additionally, the ‘Shell Command: Install code command in PATH’ option adds the ‘code’ command to the system’s PATH, allowing users to call VS Code from the command line effortlessly.
