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Visual Studio Code has quickly become one of the most popular code editors among developers. Its flexibility extensive library of extensions and rich feature set for web development, debugging, and more make it a great choice for projects large and small.
If you’re prepping for an interview where Visual Studio Code knowledge could come up or you’re just looking to expand your own VSCode skills, this article covers some key concepts, features, and frequently asked interview questions on Visual Studio Code.
What is Visual Studio Code?
Visual Studio Code is a lightweight open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It supports extensions debugging, version control integration, and more right out of the box.
Some key features and capabilities include
- Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS)
- Built-in Git support and integration with GitHub
- IntelliSense for smart code completion
- Support for debugging Node.js, Python, C++, and more
- Extensive extension ecosystem to add new languages, themes, debuggers, and integrations
- Customizable UI with themes and keyboard shortcuts
- Integrated terminal
- Real-time code collaboration through Visual Studio Live Share
While more lightweight than Visual Studio IDE, VS Code still provides many powerful features for web developers, Python and JavaScript programmers, and more. Its fast, flexible editing has made it a hit with developers.
What languages and technologies does VS Code support?
Out of the box, VS Code has excellent support for JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, JSON, HTML, CSS, SCSS, and Markdown. Many other languages are supported via the extension marketplace, including:
- C++
- C# (.NET)
- Python
- PHP
- Go
- Java
- Ruby
- Rust
- PowerShell
VS Code has built-in debugging support for Node.js, support for React and Vue.js, and integration with tools like Jupyter Notebooks. The extension ecosystem lets you add support for technologies like Docker, AWS, Azure, and more.
What are some key VS Code features?
Here are some of the most popular and powerful features in Visual Studio Code:
-
IntelliSense – Smart code completion, parameter info, and auto-import suggestions.
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Debugging – Built-in debugging for Node.js, rich debugger extension ecosystem, and integration with debuggers like GDB.
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Extensions – Extend VS Code by installing extensions from the VS Code Marketplace. Over 20,000 extensions available.
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Git Integration – Review diffs, stage files, make commits, push changes, and more in the VS Code UI.
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Customization – Tweak your VS Code setup by installing themes, customizing keybindings, settings, snippets, and more.
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Split Views – View and edit multiple files at once.
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Integrated Terminal – Work in the terminal without leaving the editor.
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Code Refactoring – Rename symbols, extract methods, and more with the VS Code refactoring tools.
What are some popular VS Code extensions?
Some of the most popular VS Code extensions include:
- Markdown All in One – Enhanced Markdown support
- ES7 React/Redux/GraphQL/React-Native snippets – Snippet collection for JavaScript and React
- GitLens – Advanced Git integration and visualization
- Python – Full Python language support
- vscode-icons – File icon themes
- Prettier – Code formatter for consistent style
- ESLint – JavaScript linting
- Bracket Pair Colorizer – Color-codes matching brackets
- Live Server – Launch local dev server for static and dynamic pages
- Docker – Makes it easy to build, manage and deploy containerized applications
There are thousands of extensions available on the VS Code Marketplace to help customize your environment.
What are some key VS Code settings?
VS Code is highly customizable through its settings. Here are some of the most useful settings to be familiar with:
editor.fontSize– Font size in pixelseditor.tabSize– Number of spaces used per tabfiles.autoSave– Save document automaticallyeditor.minimap.enabled– Toggle the document minimapeditor.formatOnSave– Format file on saveeditor.wrappingIndent– Lines will wrap at this indent sizeexplorer.confirmDelete– Prompt before deleting filesterminal.integrated.shell.*– Configure integrated terminal shellseditor.codeActionsOnSave– Fixes/refactors on save
These are just a few examples – there are many more ways to tweak VS Code’s behavior.
What are some VS Code tips and tricks?
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Use the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P) to quickly run commands by name. -
Press
F1to open the command palette in VS Code. Very useful for discovering functionality. -
Install extension packs like the Python Extension Pack to quickly add support for an entire language or ecosystem.
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Use Zen mode (
Ctrl+K Z) to collapse UI chrome and focus on code. -
Install live share extensions to do real-time coding collaboration.
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Try different Color Themes under the Extensions tab to change the look of VS Code.
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Customize your keyboard shortcuts and keybindings.
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Use Emmet snippets for fast HTML and CSS coding.
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Open the integrated terminal with `Ctrl+“ and work in the terminal without leaving VS Code.
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Use the Problems panel (
Ctrl+Shift+M) to see linter warnings, errors, etc.
VS Code Interview Questions and Answers
Here are some common interview questions on VS Code and how to answer them:
Q: How is the VS Code debugging experience?
A: Debugging in VS Code is very flexible since it integrates so well with external debuggers using extensions. The built-in debugger has excellent support for Node.js. For other languages and platforms, installing the appropriate debugger extension gives you a consistent debugging interface in VS Code. You can easily step through code, set breakpoints, inspect variables, watch expressions, and more.
Q: What are some advantages of using VS Code over a traditional IDE?
A: VS Code is extremely lightweight compared to traditional IDEs, using fewer system resources for a snappy experience. The UI is clean, intuitive and stays out of the way, putting more focus on your code. Customizing VS Code is easy with themes, keybindings, and configuration settings. The extension ecosystem is a huge advantage, letting you install only the functionality you need. And cross-platform support makes VS Code great for projects targeting multiple platforms.
Q: How does VS Code compare to Atom?
A: VS Code and Atom share some similarities as lightweight code editors, but VS Code separates itself in a few ways:
- Significantly faster performance and lower memory usage
- More complete and intuitive out-of-box experience requiring less configuration
- Much richer IntelliSense / auto-completion for languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python etc
- More fully featured debugging experience
- Larger extension ecosystem with extensions reviewed by Microsoft team
Q: What are some benefits of using VS Code for JavaScript development?
A: VS Code has excellent support for JavaScript and Node.js development:
- IntelliSense for smart suggestions and auto-imports in JavaScript and TypeScript
- Integrated debugging for Node.js
- Extensions like ESLint and Prettier for linting and formatting
- Built-in npm support with auto-completion and scripts view
- Great TypeScript support like Go To Definition on modules
- Integration with tools like Jest and Mocha for testing
So VS Code makes writing, refactoring, running, and debugging JavaScript very smooth.
Q: Can you customize VS Code to mimic IDEs like Eclipse?
A: Absolutely. VS Code is extremely customizable. You could recreate familiar keyboard shortcuts, install extensions to mimic IDE look and feel, set workspace settings to match IDE behaviors, etc. The community has even created “theme packs” to mimic popular IDEs. Themes like Atom One Dark provide an IDE-like tabbed UI. So if you’re used to another IDE, you can tune VS Code to make you feel right at home.
Q: What are some limitations of VS Code?
A: VS Code isn’t a full replacement for advanced IDEs in every scenario. Here are some potential limitations:
- More limited support for certain languages like C# compared to Visual Studio
- Not ideal for very large, complex codebases – better suited for smaller projects
- Advanced features like visual designer for GUI apps not available
- No built-in application profiling tools
- Integration with build/test automation systems can require more setup
For large enterprise projects, traditional IDEs may still have advantages. But VS Code hits a sweet spot for many developers with its great editing features, customizability, performance and debugging support.
VS Code is a superb, lightweight code editor that makes an excellent replacement for classic IDEs for many developers – especially web developers working with JavaScript, CSS, HTML, Python, Go, PHP, and more
How to disable experiments
VS Code uses experiments to try out new features or progressively roll them out. Our experimentation framework calls out to a Microsoft-owned service and is therefore disabled when telemetry is disabled. However, if you want to disable experiments regardless of your telemetry preferences, you may set the workbench. enableExperiments user setting to false.
From File > Preferences > Settings, search for experiments, and uncheck the Workbench: Enable Experiments setting. This will prevent VS Code from calling out to the service and opt out of any ongoing experiments.
How to disable telemetry reporting
VS Code collects usage data and sends it to Microsoft to help improve our products and services. Read our privacy statement and telemetry documentation to learn more.
If you dont want to send usage data to Microsoft, you can set the telemetry. telemetryLevel user setting to off.
From File > Preferences > Settings, search for telemetry, and set the Telemetry: Telemetry Level setting to off. This will silence all telemetry events from VS Code going forward.
VS Code for Beginners | VS Code Step By Step | Visual Studio Code C#
FAQ
What is Visual code Studio used for?
What is the difference between Visual Studio and VS Code?
Is VS Code an IDE or text editor?
How do you run code in Visual Studio Code?
How many Visual Studio interview questions are there?
Here Coding compiler sharing a list of 20 Visual Studio questions for freshers and experienced. These .NET Visual Studio interview questions will help you to crack your next Visual Studio job interview. All the best for your future and happy learning. What are the different activities we can do with Visual Studio?
What does Visual Studio do?
A) Visual Studio supports various activities like developing, build, debug, test, deploy, version control, devops, improve performance, extend and data. Develop – Write and manage your code using the code editor. Build – Compile and build your source code. Debug – Investigate and fix problems with your code. Test – Organize your testing processes.
What is Visual Studio Code VSCode?
Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a versatile code editor with unique features that set it apart. It offers IntelliSense, which provides smart completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules. This feature enhances productivity by reducing coding errors and speeding up the process.
Does Visual Studio Code support unit testing?
Visual Studio Code (VSCode) supports unit testing through extensions, enhancing its functionality. Popular languages like Python, JavaScript, and C# have dedicated extensions for unit testing. For instance, the Python extension provides a testing explorer that allows running of tests from the editor itself.
