Shortcut keys in VS CODE EDITOR
Contents:
1. Shortcut keys in VS CODE EDITOR
2. How to type multiple lines simultaneously?
3. How to retrieve html basic code format in a click/press keys?
4. Tell more about Emmet shortcut keys and their specifications
5. Vs code editor handles all programming languages?
1. Shortcut keys in VS CODE EDITOR
Here are some commonly used shortcut keys in Visual Studio Code (VS Code):
General
- Ctrl + P: Quick Open (search files)
- Ctrl + Shift + P / F1: Command Palette
- Ctrl + ,: Open Settings
- Ctrl + `: Toggle Integrated Terminal
File Management
- Ctrl + N: New File
- Ctrl + S: Save
- Ctrl + Shift + S: Save As
- Ctrl + W: Close File
- Ctrl + K + S: Save All
- Ctrl + K + W: Close All
Editing
- Ctrl + X: Cut Line (or selected text)
- Ctrl + C: Copy Line (or selected text)
- Ctrl + V: Paste
- Ctrl + Z: Undo
- Ctrl + Y: Redo
- Ctrl + D: Add Next Match to Selection
- Alt + Up/Down Arrow: Move Line Up/Down
- Shift + Alt + Up/Down Arrow: Copy Line Up/Down
- Ctrl + Shift + K: Delete Line
- Ctrl + Enter: Insert Line Below
- Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Insert Line Above
- Ctrl + Shift + L: Select All Occurrences of Current Selection
- Ctrl + /: Toggle Line Comment
- Shift + Alt + A: Toggle Block Comment
Navigation
- Ctrl + T: Show All Symbols
- Ctrl + G: Go to Line...
- Ctrl + Shift + O: Go to Symbol...
- Ctrl + Shift + M: Show Problems (errors, warnings, etc.)
- F12: Go to Definition
- Alt + Left Arrow: Go Back
- Alt + Right Arrow: Go Forward
Search & Replace
- Ctrl + F: Find
- Ctrl + H: Replace
- F3 / Shift + F3: Find Next / Previous
- Alt + Enter: Select All Occurrences of Find Match
Integrated Terminal
- Ctrl + `: Show Integrated Terminal
- Ctrl + Shift + `: Create New Terminal
- Ctrl + C: Copy Selection (in terminal)
- Ctrl + V: Paste (in terminal)
Split & Multi-Editing
- Ctrl + \: Split Editor
- Ctrl + 1/2/3: Focus on 1st, 2nd, 3rd Group
- Ctrl + Shift + 1/2/3: Move Editor to 1st, 2nd, 3rd Group
- Ctrl + K + Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow: Editor Split and Focus on New Group
- Alt + Click: Insert Cursor at Multiple Locations
These shortcuts can significantly boost your productivity while using VS Code!
2. How to type multiple lines simultaneously?
To type on multiple lines simultaneously in Visual Studio Code, you can use the multi-cursor feature. Here's how to do it:
Option 1: Using the Mouse
1. Alt + Click: Hold the `Alt` key and click at the points where you want to place additional cursors. Each click will add a new cursor.
2. Start typing, and the text will appear at all cursor locations.
Option 2: Using Keyboard Shortcuts
1. Ctrl + Alt + Down/Up Arrow: This adds a new cursor below or above the current line. Press the down or up arrow key multiple times to add multiple cursors.
2. Start typing, and your input will be mirrored across all the cursors.
Option 3: Selecting and Editing Multiple Instances
1. Ctrl + D: Select the next occurrence of the current selection. Each occurrence will get its own cursor.
2. Ctrl + Shift + L: Select all occurrences of the current word. Each instance will get a cursor.
3. Start typing to edit all selected instances at once.
These techniques allow you to edit multiple lines or words simultaneously, making repetitive edits much quicker and more efficient!
3. How to retrieve html basic code format in a click/press keys?
To quickly insert a basic HTML code template in Visual Studio Code, you can use the built-in Emmet abbreviation feature. Here's how to do it:
Using Emmet Abbreviation
1. Create a new HTML file: Ensure your file has a `.html` extension.
2. Type `!` and press `Tab` or `Enter`:
- Just type `!` (without the quotes) and then press the `Tab` key or `Enter`.
- VS Code will automatically expand this into a basic HTML5 template:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Document</title>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Additional Tip
- Emmet Abbreviations: You can also use other Emmet shortcuts to quickly create HTML structures. For example:
- Type `div.container>ul>li*5` and press `Tab` to create a `div` with a class of `container` that contains an unordered list with five list items.
This makes it easy to generate a basic HTML structure or more complex layouts with just a few keystrokes.
4. Tell more about Emmet shortcut keys and their specifications
Emmet is a powerful toolkit built into Visual Studio Code that allows you to write HTML and CSS code more efficiently through the use of abbreviations. When you type an Emmet abbreviation and press the `Tab` key, it expands into a larger code block, saving you time.
Here’s an overview of Emmet shortcut keys and their specifications:
Basic Emmet Abbreviations
- `!` + `Tab`: Generates a basic HTML5 boilerplate.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Document</title>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Element Creation
- `div` + `Tab`: Expands to `<div></div>`.
- `h1` + `Tab`: Expands to `<h1></h1>`.
- `p` + `Tab`: Expands to `<p></p>`.
Nesting
- `ul>li` + `Tab`: Expands to a `ul` with a single `li` element inside.
html
<ul>
<li></li>
</ul>
- `nav>ul>li` + `Tab`: Expands to a `nav` with a `ul` inside it, and `li` inside the `ul`.
html
<nav>
<ul>
<li></li>
</ul>
</nav>
Multiplication
- `ul>li*5` + `Tab`: Expands to a `ul` with five `li` elements.
html
<ul>
<li></li>
<li></li>
<li></li>
<li></li>
<li></li>
</ul>
ID and Class
- `divcontainer` + `Tab`: Expands to `<div id="container"></div>`.
- `div.classname` + `Tab`: Expands to `<div class="classname"></div>`.
- `divcontainer.classname` + `Tab`: Expands to `<div id="container" class="classname"></div>`.
Grouping
- `div>(header>nav>ul>li*3>a)+footer>p` + `Tab`:
Expands to:
html
<div>
<header>
<nav>
<ul>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
<li><a href=""></a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
</header>
<footer>
<p></p>
</footer>
</div>
Text
- `p{Hello, world!}` + `Tab`: Expands to `<p>Hello, world!</p>`.
- `a{Click here}+img[src="path/to/image.jpg"]` + `Tab`:
Expands to:
html
<a href="">Click here</a><img src="path/to/image.jpg" alt="">
Attributes
- `input[type="text"]` + `Tab`: Expands to `<input type="text">`.
- `a[href="https://example.com"]` + `Tab`: Expands to `<a href="https://example.com"></a>`.
CSS Emmet Shortcuts
- `m10` + `Tab`: Expands to `margin: 10px;`.
- `p10-20` + `Tab`: Expands to `padding: 10px 20px;`.
- `bgc` + `Tab`: Expands to `background-color: ;`.
- `w100p` + `Tab`: Expands to `width: 100%;`.
Sibling and Climbing Sibling
- `div+p` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div></div>
<p></p>
- `div+p*2` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div></div>
<p></p>
<p></p>
- `div>p^bq` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div>
<p></p>
</div>
<bq></bq>
Comments
- `/*` + `Tab`: Expands to `/* */` in CSS.
- `<!--` + `Tab`: Expands to `<!-- -->` in HTML.
Customizing Emmet
You can customize Emmet preferences by editing the settings in `settings.json` or directly in VS Code’s settings UI. You can also create custom snippets for your specific needs.
Using Emmet in Other File Types
Emmet works not just in `.html` and `.css` files but also in JSX, Vue, and even in template literals in JavaScript files. You may need to configure Emmet to work in specific languages by adjusting your settings.
Emmet offers a wide range of shortcuts beyond the ones mentioned earlier. Here are some additional Emmet shortcuts and features you can use in Visual Studio Code to enhance your coding efficiency:
Advanced Emmet Features
1. Custom Attributes
- `a[href="https://example.com" title="Example"]` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<a href="https://example.com" title="Example"></a>
- `input[type="checkbox" checked]` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<input type="checkbox" checked>
2. Emmet Filters
- `div>p{Hello World}` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div>
<p>Hello World</p>
</div>
- Uppercase Filter (`|u`): Converts the tag name to uppercase.
- `div>p{Hello World}|u` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<DIV>
<P>Hello World</P>
</DIV>
- Lowercase Filter (`|l`): Converts the tag name to lowercase (though HTML tags are case-insensitive, this might be useful in some cases).
- `DIV>P{Hello World}|l` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div>
<p>Hello World</p>
</div>
3. Numbering (Automatic Indexing)
- `ul>li.item$*5` + `Tab`: Adds a number to each class name:
html
<ul>
<li class="item1"></li>
<li class="item2"></li>
<li class="item3"></li>
<li class="item4"></li>
<li class="item5"></li>
</ul>
- Numbering with Zero Padding (`item$$`):
- `ul>li.item$$$*5` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<ul>
<li class="item001"></li>
<li class="item002"></li>
<li class="item003"></li>
<li class="item004"></li>
<li class="item005"></li>
</ul>
4. Text Placeholder (`|`)
- `a[href=""]{Link}|c` + `Tab`: Places the cursor inside the text content:
html
<a href="">Link</a>
- Use `$` for Numbering in Text:
- `p{Item $}*3` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<p>Item 1</p>
<p>Item 2</p>
<p>Item 3</p>
5. Grouping and Repeating
- `(header>nav>ul>li*3)+footer` + `Tab`: Creates multiple grouped elements:
html
<header>
<nav>
<ul>
<li></li>
<li></li>
<li></li>
</ul>
</nav>
</header>
<footer></footer>
- `(div>p)*2` + `Tab`: Repeats the entire structure:
html
<div>
<p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p></p>
</div>
6. Sibling Selectors
- `div+p+bq` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div></div>
<p></p>
<bq></bq>
7. Multiple Class Names or IDs
- `div.class1.class2` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div class="class1 class2"></div>
- `divheader.container` + `Tab`: Expands to:
html
<div id="header" class="container"></div>
8. CSS and Styling Emmet Shortcuts
- `m10-20-30-40` + `Tab`: Expands to:
css
margin: 10px 20px 30px 40px;
- `p10` + `Tab`: Expands to:
css
padding: 10px;
- `bgcccc` + `Tab`: Expands to:
css
background-color: ccc;
- `w100p` + `Tab`: Expands to:
css
width: 100%;
- `bd1s000` + `Tab`: Expands to:
css
border: 1px solid 000;
9. Commenting
- `/*` + `Tab`: Creates a CSS comment:
css
/* */
- `<!--` + `Tab`: Creates an HTML comment:
html
<!-- -->
10. Climbing Up with `^`
- `div>p>a^h1` + `Tab`: Moves one level up and creates a sibling:
html
<div>
<p><a href=""></a></p>
<h1></h1>
</div>
Custom Emmet Snippets
You can define your own Emmet snippets by editing the `settings.json` file in Visual Studio Code:
1. Open Command Palette (`Ctrl + Shift + P`) and type "Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)".
2. Add or modify custom snippets under `"emmet.preferences": {}` or `"emmet.extensionsPath": []`.
For example, to add a custom abbreviation:
json
"emmet.extensionsPath": [
{
"snippets": {
"html": {
"snippets": {
"mydiv": "<div class=\"my-class\"></div>"
}
}
}
}
]
Useful Emmet Shortcuts and Commands in VS Code
- `Ctrl + Space`: Trigger Emmet suggestions and completions manually.
- `Ctrl + Alt + Enter`: Expand Emmet abbreviation manually (useful if `Tab` is not triggering Emmet).
- `Shift + Tab`: When Emmet abbreviation expands incorrectly, this key can de-indent the content.
Emmet Preferences in Settings
You can further customize Emmet behavior in VS Code by configuring preferences in the settings:
- `emmet.includeLanguages`: Enables Emmet for other file types, such as JSX, PHP, etc.
- `emmet.syntaxProfiles`: Customize how Emmet expands specific elements (e.g., self-closing tags).
Emmet is a highly customizable and versatile tool, and mastering these shortcuts and features can significantly enhance your coding productivity, especially in HTML, CSS, and even in various templating languages.
Emmet greatly speeds up coding by reducing the amount of typing required and minimizing repetitive tasks.
5. Vs code editor handles all programming languages?
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is one of the most versatile code editors available, and while it doesn't natively support all programming languages out-of-the-box, it can handle a vast majority of them through its extensible architecture. Here's how it works:
Native Support
VS Code natively supports many popular languages, including:
- JavaScript
- TypeScript
- Python
- HTML/CSS
- JSON
- Markdown
- Go
- C/C++
- Java
- SQL
Extensions for Additional Languages
For languages not supported out-of-the-box, you can install extensions from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace. There are thousands of extensions available for nearly every programming language, including:
- PHP
- Ruby
- R
- Scala
- Kotlin
- Rust
- Dart/Flutter
- Swift
- Perl
- Haskell
- Lua
- VimL
- MATLAB
- Assembly
- COBOL
- Erlang
And many more. To add support for a new language:
1. Open VS Code.
2. Go to the Extensions view by clicking on the square icon in the sidebar or pressing `Ctrl + Shift + X`.
3. Search for the language you want to add (e.g., "PHP", "Rust").
4. Click Install on the extension that matches your needs.
Features Provided by Extensions
When you install an extension for a particular language, it often provides:
- Syntax Highlighting: Color-coding of different parts of your code based on the language's syntax.
- IntelliSense: Autocompletion, suggestions, and function/method signatures.
- Code Snippets: Predefined code templates that can be inserted quickly.
- Debugging: Integration with VS Code's debugging tools to debug code written in that language.
- Linting: Automatic detection of errors, potential bugs, and style issues.
- Formatting: Automatic code formatting according to the language's conventions.
- Refactoring: Tools to rename variables, extract functions, etc.
- Language Server Protocol (LSP): Some languages offer a Language Server that provides features like code navigation, autocompletion, and error checking.
Multi-language Projects
VS Code is also capable of handling projects that involve multiple languages. For example, a web development project might involve:
- HTML for structure
- CSS for styling
- JavaScript for behavior
- Python or Node.js for backend logic
- SQL for database queries
VS Code's extensions can work together to provide a seamless experience when working with multi-language projects.
Customization and Configurations
You can also configure VS Code to better suit the language you're working with:
- Workspace Settings: Tailor settings to individual projects, like enabling specific linters or formatters.
- Tasks and Build Scripts: Automate common tasks like compiling, running tests, or deploying code.
Limitations
While VS Code can handle almost any language, there might be some niche languages or environments that require specific IDEs or tools for full functionality. For example, embedded systems development or certain proprietary languages might be better supported by specialized tools. However, VS Code's extensibility often allows it to cover a significant range of use cases even in these areas.
Conclusion
VS Code, through its native features and extensions, can handle nearly all programming languages, making it a versatile and powerful tool for developers across various fields. If you work with multiple languages or need a highly customizable editor, VS Code is a strong choice.
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