Visual Studio Code

1Introducing Visual Studio Code

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

• Installing and getting started with Visual Studio Code
• Understanding the cross‐platform components that make up Visual Studio Code

GETTING STARTED

The choice of the editor used by any developer is an incredibly personal one. The reason to pick one over the rest depends on a collection of attributes typically related to the tasks they perform on a daily basis. Developers look for functionality, keystroke shortcuts, code snippets, colorations, and more that allow them to stay productive.

Dislodging developers from their choice is not easy. Any change in editors is going to result in an immediate loss of productivity. After all, it takes time to become familiar with the features offered and have them become a natural part of the coding “flow.” As a result, it takes a special level of “better” for a developer to switch editors.

For this reason, the success of Visual Studio Code speaks volumes for its features and functionality. Although it has been officially released for just three years (it left public preview in April 2016), it has quickly become one of the top editors in terms of popularity, competing with Sublime Text, Atom, and UltraEdit for the top spot.

But that doesn't matter to you, the reader. What you care about more is what Visual Studio Code can do to help you be productive. As a developer, it is frequently the small things that make the biggest difference—knowing how to add code with a single keyboard ...