In this article I want to share some of my favorite and most used VS Code shortcuts that help me save time, make my life a little easier and, as a heavy keyboard user, also allow me to stay in my developer flow.
You may be familiar with some of them already but hopefully you will discover a new shortcut that you can introduce into your workflow starting right now. 🤞🏻
I jotted down the key combinations for Mac users. If you’re a Windows or Linux user, you can find the key bindings for your OS here.
Alright then, so without needing to select the entire line first...
-
⌘X- cut a line -
⌘C- copy a line -
⇧⌘K- delete a line -
⌘L- select the line
And while your cursor is on a specific line..
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⌘Enter- insert a new line below it -
⇧⌘Enter- insert a new line above it -
⌥↑and⌥↓- move the line up/down -
⇧⌥↑and⇧⌥↓- duplicate line on the line above/below it -
⌘]and⌘[- indent and outdent the line -
⌘/- (un)comment out the line
Or within a specific file..
-
⌘D- find other instances of selected code -
⌥Z- toggle word wrap
Lastly, for some editor/window management..
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⌘P- find and go to file (quick open) -
⌘N- new editor -
⌘W- close editor -
⌘B- toggle visibility of the side panel -
⌃` - toggle visibility of the integrated terminal -
⌘2- split screen into two editor groups -
⇧⌘T- reopen recently closed editor -
⌥⌘←and⌥⌘→- view editor tab on the left/right
Happy coding!
If you enjoyed reading this post or if it was helpful to you, you can support me by buying me a coffee — I'd really appreciate it! 🙏
Oldest comments (31)
nice
Another one I use a lot is command shift P to open the command prompt.
One more, command K W to close all the windows
I didn't know about these, thank you for sharing!
Awesome :) I always forget that some of these even exist, so this is a great resource. Thanks!
No love for other platforms?
Oh no absolutely, this is just the setup I personally use and can write about confidently. I highly encourage devs who do not use VS Code/work on Macbooks to discover the key bindings that have the same or similar functionality as the shortcuts I shared!
I use VS Code too just not on a mac, thanks for the tips!
I use both Ubuntu and macos, for most of them just swap command with control and you'll be fine
I personally dont use "delete line" - just cut it and never paste it. ;)
On the other hand shortcuts i often use.
I might have some customs, so double check before using
toggle terminal (ctrl+`)
multicursor to the next line (shift+ctrl+down / or shift+ctrl+up)
duplicate line above/below (shift+alt+down)
move line up / down (alt+down / alt+up)
I second the ctrl+...
I would also recommend folding shortcuts to navigate bigger files, but since im not working on long files (js + includes in other languages) i dont need it - but if you are dealing with files 200+ lines long, i would highly recommend mastering folding + go to line + go to method
Great! I use few of those shortcuts. But always forget the shortcuts for duplicating the line and find the instances.
Thanks.
How can I split a file in editor to an already existing right side editor.
I am so grateful that you shared these, can't thank you enough for how much you just increased my productivity.
This is a great reference sheet! Bookmarked 🔖
Hey there windows users!!! To use these shortcuts in windows on VsCode, replace
⌘ - ctrl
⌥ - alt
⇧ - shift
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