Installing and Setting Up VS Code

Download and Install

Download the installer from code.visualstudio.com. On Windows choose the system installer so VS Code registers in the PATH and context menu; on macOS drag the app into Applications.

Recommended Startup Actions

• Select "Open with Code" so File Explorer offers VS Code.
• Allow code in PATH for terminal use.
• Turn on dark theme or pick your preference.

Core Settings

Open Settings (Ctrl+,) and adjust essentials: font family and size, tab size, word wrap, and keybindings to your old editor via the Keyboard Shortcuts editor.

{
  "editor.fontSize": 14,
  "editor.wordWrap": "on",
  "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
  "workbench.colorTheme": "Default Dark Modern"
}

Command Palette

Ctrl+Shift+P opens the command palette, the fast lane to almost every feature. Type any command name instead of digging through menus.

Verifying Installation

code --version
code .

The second command opens the current folder in VS Code.

Key Points

• System install adds the code command and context menus.
• settings.json stores every editor preference.
• The command palette navigates the whole editor.
• code . opens a project from any terminal.