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charudatta
charudatta

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VS Code for Note-Taking

Using VS Code for Note-Taking

1. Markdown Support

VS Code has excellent support for Markdown, making it a great choice for note-taking. You can create Markdown files (.md) to organize your notes, ideas, and thoughts. Markdown allows you to format text, create lists, add headings, and include code snippets.

2. Workspace Setup

  1. Open VS Code and create a new folder for your notes.
  2. Save the folder as a workspace (File > Open Folder). This step ensures that you can manage multiple notes within the same workspace³.

3. File and Folder Organization

  • Create subfolders within your workspace to categorize your notes. For example:
    • Personal
    • Work
    • Projects
    • Ideas
  • Use descriptive folder names to make it easy to find specific notes later.

4. Task Management

VS Code allows you to automate tasks using the built-in Tasks feature. You can configure tasks to run scripts, start processes, and perform various actions. Here's how:

  1. Create a tasks.json file in the .vscode folder within your workspace.
  2. Define tasks using the appropriate task runner (e.g., TypeScript Compiler, linters, build systems).
  3. Execute tasks directly from VS Code without entering the command line¹.

5. Repetitive Tasks and Automation

  • Use tasks to automate repetitive actions. For example:
    • Compile TypeScript files automatically when you save them.
    • Run linters to check code quality.
    • Trigger build processes for your projects.

6. Project Management

  • Create separate folders for each project within your workspace.
  • Organize project-related notes, code snippets, and documentation in these folders.
  • Use Markdown files to maintain project-specific to-do lists, milestones, and progress updates.

7. Getting Things Done (GTD) Methodology

  • Apply GTD principles to your note-taking process:
    • Capture: Quickly jot down ideas, tasks, and notes.
    • Organize: Sort your notes into relevant folders.
    • Review: Regularly review and update your notes.
    • Prioritize: Identify high-priority tasks and focus on them.

Remember that VS Code is highly customizable, so explore extensions and settings that enhance your note-taking experience. Happy note-taking! 📝✨⁴

Top comments (7)

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paras594 profile image
Paras 🧙‍♂️

That's a nice use of VS Code. The way you are organizing your notes is good. I also organize them in a similar way in obsidian. Here is my folder structure:

  • archives: store notes that I don't need anymore, like finished projects, etc.
  • inbox: any note that I create goes in this if I am not sure about where it belongs
  • personal: personal notes, like progress report, learnings, quotes etc.
  • projects: any kind of project that I start goes in this and has its own folder
  • resources: contains notes like cheatsheets, guides, useful links, workflow related notes, and other information that I access on a fairly regular basis.

I like your "ideas" folder. I guess I need one in my notes.

Great post :)

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vertinog profile image
Justin Chrysler

There is a VS Code extension called Foam that works a lot like Obsidian.

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wolfsrudel profile image
Wolfsrudel

You should use tools that are specifically designed for this purpose. In this case that would be obsidian.md :)

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salika_dave profile image
Salika Dave

Good idea!

I extensively make use of VS Code, so it’s nice to be able to do my work as well as take notes all in the same IDE.

At the same time, I also like using Obsidian because it gives me an instant preview of my markdown file. Still exploring the other features.

Know any cool extensions on the marketplace?

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shazin profile image
shazinii

You can also use Latex Extension as well.

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malxcon profile image
💎Jefferson Malxcon💎

No seria contraproducente?

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pkubik profile image
Paweł Kubik

The only thing I'm always lacking is pasting images. There are some extensions but they are quite junky.