VS Code releases a new version each month with new features and important bug fixes. Most platforms support auto updating and you will be prompted to install the new release when it becomes available. You can also manually check for updates by running Help > Check for Updates on Linux and Windows or running Code > Check for Updates on macOS.
If you'd like to try our nightly builds to see new features early or verify bug fixes, you can install our Insiders build. The Insiders build installs side-by-side with the monthly Stable build and you can freely work with either on the same machine. The Insiders build is the same one the VS Code development team uses on a daily basis and we really appreciate people trying out new features and providing feedback.
Visual Studio Code supports Portable mode installation. This mode enables all data created and maintained by VS Code to live near itself, so it can be moved around across environments, for example, on a USB drive. See the VS Code Portable Mode documentation for details.
VS Code is an editor, first and foremost, and prides itself on a small footprint. Unlike traditional IDEs that tend to include everything but the kitchen sink, you can tune your installation to the development technologies you care about. Be sure to read the Additional Components topic after reading the platform guides to learn about customizing your VS Code installation.
VS Code doesn't include a traditional File > New Project dialog or pre-installed project templates. You'll need to add additional components and scaffolders depending on your development interests. With scaffolding tools like Yeoman and the multitude of modules available through the npm package manager, you're sure to find appropriate templates and tools to create your projects.
If you want to remove all user data after uninstalling VS Code, you can delete the user data folders Code and .vscode. This will return you to the state before you installed VS Code. This can also be used to reset all settings if you don't want to uninstall VS Code.
Tip: Setup will add Visual Studio Code to your %PATH%, so from the console you can type 'code .' to open VS Code on that folder. You will need to restart your console after the installation for the change to the %PATH% environmental variable to take effect.
The user setup does not require Administrator privileges to run as the location will be under your user Local AppData (LOCALAPPDATA) folder. Since it requires no elevation, the user setup is able to provide a smoother background update experience. This is the preferred way to install VS Code on Windows.
The system setup requires elevation to Administrator privileges to run and will place the installation under the system's Program Files. The in-product update flow will also require elevation, making it less streamlined than the user setup. On the other hand, installing VS Code using the system setup means that it will be available to all users in the system.
VS Code ships monthly releases and supports auto-update when a new release is available. If you're prompted by VS Code, accept the newest update and it will be installed (you won't need to do anything else to get the latest bits).
On certain devices, editor scrolling is not smooth but laggy for an unpleasant experience. If you notice this issue, make sure you install the Windows 10 October 2018 update where this issue is fixed.
The features that Visual Studio Code includes out-of-the-box are just the start. VS Code extensions let you add languages, debuggers, and tools to your installation to support your development workflow. VS Code's rich extensibility model lets extension authors plug directly into the VS Code UI and contribute functionality through the same APIs used by VS Code. This article explains how to find, install, and manage VS Code extensions from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.
An extension is uniquely identified by its publisher and extension IDs. If you select the TODO Highlight extension, you will see the Extension details page, where you can find the extension ID, in this case, wayou.vscode-todo-highlight. Knowing the extension ID can be helpful if there are several similarly named extensions.
Select the Install button, and VS Code will download and install the extension from the Marketplace. When the installation is complete, the Install button will be replaced with a Manage gear button.
This has been just one example of how to install and use an extension. The VS Code Marketplace has thousands of extensions supporting hundreds of programming languages and tasks. Everything from full featured language support for Java, Python, Go, and C++ to simple extensions that create GUIDs, change the color theme, or add virtual pets to the editor.
If an extension is an Extension Pack, the Extension Pack section will display which extensions will be installed when you install the pack. Extension Packs bundle separate extensions together so they can be easily installed at one time.
VS Code makes it easy to manage your extensions. You can install, disable, update, and uninstall extensions through the Extensions view, the Command Palette (commands have the Extensions: prefix) or command-line switches.
To uninstall an extension, select the Manage gear button at the right of an extension entry and then choose Uninstall from the dropdown menu. This will uninstall the extension and prompt you to reload VS Code.
If you want to quickly disable all installed extensions, there is a Disable All Installed Extensions command in the Command Palette and More Actions (...) dropdown menu.
VS Code checks for extension updates and installs them automatically. After an update, you will be prompted to reload VS Code. If you'd rather update your extensions manually, you can disable auto-update with the Disable Auto Updating Extensions command that sets the extensions.autoUpdate setting to false. If you don't want VS Code to even check for updates, you can set the extensions.autoCheckUpdates setting to false.
If you have extensions auto-update disabled, you can quickly look for extension updates by using the Show Outdated Extensions command that uses the @outdated filter. This will display any available updates for your currently installed extensions. Select the Update button for the outdated extension and the update will be installed and you'll be prompted to reload VS Code. You can also update all your outdated extensions at one time with the Update All Extensions command. If you also have automatic checking for updates disabled, you can use the Check for Extension Updates command to check which of your extensions can be updated.
VS Code extensions may have very different configurations and requirements. Some extensions contribute settings to VS Code, which can be modified in the Settings editor. Other extensions may have their own configuration files. Extensions may also require installation and setup of additional components like compilers, debuggers, and command-line tools. Consult the extension's README (visible in the Extensions view details page) or go to the extension page on the VS Code Marketplace (click on the extension name in the details page). Many extensions are open source and have a link to their repository on their Marketplace page.
To make it easier to automate and configure VS Code, it is possible to list, install, and uninstall extensions from the command line. When identifying an extension, provide the full name of the form publisher.extension, for example ms-python.python.
The Extensions view search box supports filters to help you find and manage extensions. You may have seen filters such as @installed and @recommended if you used the commands Show Installed Extensions and Show Recommended Extensions. Also, there are filters available to let you sort by popularity or ratings and search by category (for example 'Linters') and tags (for example 'node'). You can see a complete listing of all filters and sort commands by typing @ in the extensions search box and navigating through the suggestions:
You can manually install a VS Code extension packaged in a .vsix file. Using the Install from VSIX command in the Extensions view command dropdown, or the Extensions: Install from VSIX command in the Command Palette, point to the .vsix file.
An extension is identified using its publisher name and extension identifier publisher.extension. You can see the name on the extension's detail page. VS Code will provide you with auto-completion for installed extensions inside these files.
VS Code prompts a user to install the recommended extensions when a workspace is opened for the first time. The user can also review the list with the Extensions: Show Recommended Extensions command.
Some users prefer to download an extension once from the Marketplace and then install it multiple times from a local share. This is useful when there are connectivity concerns or if your development team wants to use a fixed set of extensions.
Note: If you don't have admin access, an additional option for installing Python on Windows is to use the Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store provides installs of supported Python versions.
The system install of Python on macOS is not supported. Instead, a package management system like Homebrew is recommended. To install Python using Homebrew on macOS use brew install python3 at the Terminal prompt.
Windows Subsystem for Linux: If you are working on Windows and want a Linux environment for working with Python, the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is an option for you. If you choose this option, you'll also want to install the WSL extension. For more information about using WSL with VS Code, see VS Code Remote Development or try the Working in WSL tutorial, which will walk you through setting up WSL, installing Python, and creating a Hello World application running in WSL.
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