Welcome back to Part 2 of the series:
“Mastering VS Code Shortcuts: From Beginner to Pro”
In this post, we’re diving into what makes coding in VS Code lightning fast — powerful editing, multi-cursor workflows, and built-in refactoring tools. 🧠⚡
Whether you’re building in React, Python, Rust, or Go — these shortcuts will save you hours over time.
✂️ Code Editing Shortcuts::
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Copy Line Up/Down | Shift + Alt + ↑ / ↓ |
Shift + Option + ↑ / ↓ |
| Move Line Up/Down | Alt + ↑ / ↓ |
Option + ↑ / ↓ |
| Delete Line | Ctrl + Shift + K |
Cmd + Shift + K |
| Insert Line Below/Above | Ctrl + Enter / Ctrl + Shift + Enter |
Cmd + Enter / Cmd + Shift + Enter |
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y |
Cmd + Z / Cmd + Shift + Z |
| Indent / Outdent Line | Ctrl + ] / [ |
Cmd + ] / [ |
| Toggle Line Comment | Ctrl + / |
Cmd + / |
| Block Comment | Shift + Alt + A |
Shift + Option + A |
🧙♂️ Multi-Cursor Magic::
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Add Cursor (Clicking) | Alt + Click |
Option + Click |
| Add Next Match to Selection | Ctrl + D |
Cmd + D |
| Select All Matches | Ctrl + Shift + L |
Cmd + Shift + L |
| Insert Cursor Above/Below | Ctrl + Alt + ↑ / ↓ |
Option + Cmd + ↑ / ↓ |
| Box Selection (Column Mode) | Shift + Alt + Drag |
Option + Shift + Drag |
| Undo Cursor Stop | Ctrl + U |
Cmd + U |
💡 Pro Tip: Multi-cursor editing is perfect for:
Renaming variable instances.
Changing list items.
Bulk editing function params.
Once you master it, you’ll barely need your mouse.
🧠 Refactoring Shortcuts::
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Rename Symbol | F2 |
F2 |
| Quick Fix / Lightbulb | Ctrl + . |
Cmd + . |
| Organize Imports | Alt + Shift + O |
Option + Shift + O |
| Extract Method / Variable | (via Lightbulb / F1) |
(via Lightbulb / F1) |
| Show Problems Panel | Ctrl + Shift + M |
Cmd + Shift + M |
| Navigate Errors | F8 / Shift + F8 |
F8 / Shift + F8 |
🧩 Quick Fix Tip: When you see that lightbulb icon 💡, hit Ctrl + . / Cmd + . to get refactor suggestions, fix missing imports, or convert inline code to a method.
🏁 Smart Selection Shortcuts::
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Expand Selection | Shift + Alt + → |
Shift + Option + → |
| Shrink Selection | Shift + Alt + ← |
Shift + Option + ← |
| Select All Occurrences | Ctrl + F2 |
Cmd + F2 |
| Find Next/Previous Occurrence | F3 / Shift + F3 |
Cmd + G / Shift + Cmd + G |
✅ Final Thoughts (Part 2)
Editing code is where you spend most of your time — so every second saved here multiplies.
Here’s what to try this week:
Use Alt + Click and Ctrl + D for multi-cursors.
Try F2 to rename variables without searching.
Use Ctrl + . instead of manually fixing imports or errors.
In Part 3, we’ll explore terminal shortcuts, Zen mode, extensions, debugging tools, and customization hacks for your ultimate workflow.
💬 Do you already use multi-cursors? Have a secret shortcut I missed? Let’s talk in the comments! 👇
Top comments (2)
been cool seeing steady progress - it adds up. what do you think actually keeps things growing over time? habits? luck? just showing up?
Thanks so much, Nathan — appreciate you following along! 🙌
Great question — honestly, I think it’s a mix. Habits keep the engine running, showing up fuels consistency, and a little luck (like being seen at the right time) can spark that momentum. But without the first two, luck doesn’t have much to land on.
Curious to hear your take too — what’s helped you stay consistent over time?
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.