Top 10 useful VS Code hotkeys

Hotkeys in VSCode are powerful assets in reducing the time it takes to take your code to go from idea to completion. Knowledge of the terminal, development lifecycle, and typing speed can multiply the amount of work you can get done and be well worth your time. For now, let's look at 10 hotkeys that can take your productivity to the next level:

(Side note: I used the mouse in the GIF’s to bring focus onto the editor and make it clear what to look at.)

Ctrl+Shift-+E: Bring sidebar focus.

Ctrl+B: Toggle sidebar without switching focus.

Alt+arrow left or arrow right: switch between open files.

Ctrl+arrow left or arrow right: Jump words.

Ctrl+Enter: Insert a new line after the current one.

Ctrl+Shift+Enter: Insert a new line before the current one.

Ctrl+`: Toggle between terminal and editor.

Ctrl+Shift+K: Remove current line.

Ctrl+/: Toggle comment.

F2: Rename a file.

Ctrl+F Alt-Enter: Find and replace all at once.

Alt+D: Find and replace one at a time.

Ctrl+K Z: Enter Zen mode! Get all those distractions out of sight.

If you want to take advantage of these hotkeys and find your own favorites the best thing you can do is keep a printed version of the hotkeys at your desk and when you reach for your mouse, stop, and ask yourself, “is there a hotkey for this?” Then get in the habit of using those same hotkeys over and over again and eventually it will become instinctual to you. The less you need to reach for your mouse the better off you will be.

Thanks for reading!