10 essential VS Code tips & tricks for greater productivity

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful code editor that can significantly boost your productivity when used efficiently. Here are 10 essential tips and tricks to help you get the most out of VS Code:

1. Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn and use keyboard shortcuts to perform common tasks quickly. Some essential shortcuts include Ctrl/Cmd + S (Save), Ctrl/Cmd + P (Quick Open), Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N (New File), and Ctrl/Cmd + F (Find).

2. Extensions: Explore and install extensions from the VS Code marketplace to enhance your workflow. Popular extensions include "GitLens" for Git integration, "ESLint" for JavaScript linting, and "Python" for Python development.

3. Multi-Cursor Editing: Use Alt + Click (or Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow on Windows/Linux) to add multiple cursors, allowing you to edit or insert text in multiple places simultaneously.

4. IntelliSense: VS Code provides intelligent code suggestions as you type. Utilize this feature to write code faster and with fewer errors. Press Ctrl/Cmd + Space to trigger IntelliSense manually.

5. Integrated Terminal: Open an integrated terminal within VS Code by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + ` (backtick). This allows you to run commands and scripts without switching to another terminal window.

6. Split View: Split your editor into multiple panes to work on different files or parts of a file simultaneously. Use Ctrl/Cmd + \ to split the view and Ctrl/Cmd + 1, Ctrl/Cmd + 2, etc., to switch between them.

7. Workspace Settings: Customize VS Code settings for each project by using workspace settings files. Create a .vscode folder in your project root and add a settings.json file to configure project-specific settings.

8. Version Control: Learn how to use the built-in Git integration in VS Code. You can stage, commit, and push changes directly from the editor. Use the source control icon in the left sidebar.

9. Code Folding: Collapse sections of code to focus on relevant parts of your codebase. Use Ctrl/Cmd + (Minus) to collapse code blocks and Ctrl/Cmd + (Plus) to expand them.

10. Snippets: Create and use code snippets for commonly used code patterns. VS Code supports both user-defined and language-specific snippets. You can insert a snippet by typing its trigger and pressing Tab.

Bonus Tip: 11. Integrated Debugging: Take advantage of the built-in debugging features in VS Code. Set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through your code for easier debugging. Learn the debugging shortcuts like F5 to start debugging and F10/F11 to step over/into code.

Remember that mastering these tips and tricks might take some time, but the investment will pay off in improved productivity and a more pleasant coding experience in Visual Studio Code.