Visual Studio Code FAQ

Visual Studio,Our docs comprise a Common questions phase as wished for particular topics. We’ve captured gadgets here that don’t in shape in the different subjects.

If you don’t see an answer for your question right here, check our previously mentioned issues on GitHub and our release notes.

What is the difference between Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio IDE?#

Visual Studio Code is a streamlined code editor with aid for development operations like debugging, project jogging, and version manipulate. It goals to offer simply the tools a developer wishes for a fast code-construct-debug cycle and leaves greater complicated workflows to fuller featured IDEs, inclusive of Visual Studio IDE.

Visual Studio,Which OSs are supported?#

VS Code runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows. See the Requirements documentation for the supported versions. You can discover more platform precise details within the Setup evaluate.

Visual Studio,Is VS Code free?#

Yes, VS Code is free for personal or commercial use. See the product license for information.

Visual Studio,How to disable telemetry reporting#

VS Code collects usage information and sends it to Microsoft to help improve our products and services. Read our privacy announcement and telemetry documentation to learn more.

If you don’t wish to ship utilization statistics to Microsoft, you could set the telemetry.EnableTelemetry person placing to false.

From File > Preferences > Settings (macOS: Code > Preferences > Settings), search for telemetry, and uncheck the Telemetry: Enable Telemetry placing. This will silence all telemetry occasions from VS Code going ahead.

Important Notice: VS Code gives you the option to put in Microsoft and third celebration extensions. These extensions can be accumulating their own usage statistics and are not managed by the telemetry.EnableTelemetry placing. Consult the particular extension’s documentation to learn about its telemetry reporting.

Visual Studio,How to disable crash reporting#

VS Code collects information approximately any crashes that arise and sends it to Microsoft to help enhance our services and products. Read our privateness statement and telemetry documentation to study extra.

If you don’t wish to send crash facts to Microsoft, you can set the telemetry.EnableCrashReporter user placing to fake.

From File > Preferences > Settings (macOS: Code > Preferences > Settings), search for crash, and uncheck the Telemetry: Enable Crash Reporter putting.

Important Notice: This choice requires a restart of VS Code to take effect.

Visual Studio,GDPR and VS Code#

Now that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is in impact, we need to take this opportunity to reiterate that we take privateness very critically. That’s both for Microsoft as a employer and specially in the VS Code group.

To assist GDPR:

  • The VS Code product notifies all users that they could choose out of telemetry series.
  • The crew actively reviews and classifies all telemetry despatched (documented in our OSS codebase).
  • There are valid information retention guidelines in region for any facts amassed, as an instance crash dumps.

You can analyze extra approximately VS Code’s GDPR compliance within the telemetry documentation.

What online services does VS Code use?#

Beyond crash reporting and telemetry, VS Code makes use of on line services for numerous different functions which include downloading product updates, locating, installing, and updating extensions, or presenting Natural Language Search within the Settings editor. You can study extra in Managing online services.

You can select to show on/off capabilities that use these offerings. From File > Preferences > Settings (macOS: Code > Preferences > Settings), and type the tag @tag:usesOnlineServices. This will display all settings that manipulate the usage of on line offerings and you can personally switch them on or off.

How do I opt out of VS Code auto-updates?#

By default, VS Code is installation to car-update for macOS and Windows customers while we release new updates. If you do not need to get automatic updates, you can set the Update: Mode placing from default to none.

To modify the replace mode, visit File > Preferences > Settings (macOS: Code > Preferences > Settings), search for update mode and trade the putting to none.

If you use the JSON editor in your settings, upload the subsequent line:

“update.mode”: “none”

You can deploy a preceding release of VS Code by using uninstalling your contemporary model and then putting in the down load furnished at the pinnacle of a particular launch notes web page.

Note: On Linux: If the VS Code repository turned into mounted correctly then your machine bundle supervisor ought to deal with auto-updating in the equal way as other programs at the gadget. See Installing VS Code on Linux.

Licensing#

Location#

You can discover the VS Code licenses, 1/3 birthday party notices and Chromium Open Source credit score list under your VS Code installation vicinity resourcesapp folder. VS Code’s ThirdPartyNotices.Txt, Chromium’s Credits_*.Html, and VS Code’s English language LICENSE.Txt are available under resourcesapp. Localized versions of LICENSE.Txt with the aid of Language ID are below resourcesapplicenses.

Why does Visual Studio Code have a different license than the vscode GitHub repository?#

To research why Visual Studio Code, the product, has a one of a kind license than the open-supply vscode GitHub repository, see issue #60 for a detailed rationalization.

What is the difference between the vscode repository and the Microsoft Visual Studio Code distribution?#

The github.Com/microsoft/vscode repository (Code – OSS) is where we increase the Visual Studio Code product. Not best do we write code and work on issues there,

we additionally submit our roadmap and month-to-month iteration and endgame plans. The supply code is to be had to anyone beneath a general MIT license.

Visual Studio Code is a distribution of the Code – OSS repository with Microsoft precise customizations (together with supply code), launched under a traditional Microsoft product license.

See the Visual Studio Code and ‘Code – OSS’ Differences article for extra details.

What does “Built on Open Source” mean?#

Microsoft Visual Studio Code is a Microsoft certified distribution of ‘Code – OSS’ that includes Microsoft proprietary assets (together with icons) and functions (Visual Studio Marketplace integration,

small elements of permitting Remote Development). While those additions make up a totally small percent of the overall distribution code base,

it’s far extra correct to say that Visual Studio Code is “built” on open supply, rather than “is” open supply, because of those variations. More data on what each distribution consists of can be observed within the Visual Studio Code and ‘Code – OSS’ Differences article.

Are all VS Code extensions open source?#

Extension authors are unfastened to choose a license that suits their commercial enterprise desires. While many extension authors have opted to launch their supply code underneath an open-supply license,

some extensions like Wallaby.Js, Google Cloud Code, and the VS Code Remote Development extensions use proprietary licenses.

At Microsoft, we open supply our extensions each time viable. However, reliance on present proprietary supply code or libraries, supply code that crosses into Microsoft certified equipment or offerings (for example Visual Studio), and business version variations across the whole lot of Microsoft will bring about some extensions the usage of a proprietary license. You can find a list of Microsoft contributed Visual Studio Code extensions and their licenses inside the Microsoft Extension Licenses article.

Prerelease versions#

Want an early peek at new VS Code capabilities? You can try prerelease variations of VS Code by way of putting in the “Insiders” construct. The Insiders build installs side via side to your solid VS Code set up and has isolated settings,

configurations and extensions. The Insiders build is up to date nightly so that you’ll get the latest malicious program fixes and feature updates from the day earlier than.

To install the Insiders build, go to the Insiders download page.

Can I run a portable version of VS Code?#

Yes, VS Code has a Portable Mode which helps you to preserve settings and records inside the equal region as your set up, as an example, on a USB drive.

Report an issue with a VS Code extension#

For insects, feature requests or to touch an extension author, you have to use the links to be had within the Visual Studio Code Marketplace or use Help: Report Issue from the Command Palette. However,

if there is an difficulty wherein an extension does no longer comply with our code of behavior, as an example it includes profanity, pornography or offers a hazard to the consumer, then we’ve got an e mail alias to file the issue. Once the mail is received, our Marketplace crew will inspect the best course of motion, up to and inclusive of unpublishing the extension.

How do I find the version?#

You can find the VS Code model facts inside the About dialog field.

On macOS, visit Code > About Visual Studio Code.

On Windows and Linux, go to Help > About.

The VS Code version is the first Version variety listed and has the version format ‘major.Minor.Release’, as an instance ‘1.27.Zero’.

VS Code gets unresponsive right after opening a folder#

When you open a folder, VS Code will look for traditional challenge files to provide you additional tooling (e.G. The answer picker in the fame bar to open an answer). If you open a folder with masses of files, the hunt can take a big quantity of time and CPU sources for the duration of which VS Code might be gradual to respond. We plan to improve this inside the destiny however for now you may exclude folders from the explorer via the documents. Exclude setting and they may not be searched for venture files:

“files.exclude”: { “**/largeFolder”: true }

VS Code is blank?#

The Electron shell utilized by Visual Studio Code has trouble with some GPU (pictures processing unit) hardware acceleration. If VS Code is showing a blank (empty) most important window,

you could try disabling GPU acceleration while launching VS Code with the aid of including the Electron –disable-gpu command-line switch.

code –disable-gpu

Blurriness on macOS Mojave#

If you have up to date to macOS 10.14 (Mojave), you might have observed that fonts in VS Code look blurry in case you are not using a excessive-DPI display.

A workaround for that is to run:

defaults write com.microsoft.VSCode.helper CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool NO

From a terminal accompanied with the aid of restarting your laptop.

Note that this alteration is worldwide for each utility and now not precise to VS Code. See issue #51132 for the related discussion.

Installation appears to be corrupt [Unsupported]#

VS Code does a history test to locate if the installation has been changed on disk and if so, you will see the text ‘[Unsupported]’ inside the identify bar. This is performed on account that some extensions directly alter (patch) the VS Code product in this kind of way this is semi-everlasting (until the subsequent replace) and this could motive difficult to reproduce troubles. We aren’t trying to block VS Code patching,

however we need to raise focus that patching VS Code means you’re jogging an unsupported model. Reinstalling VS Code will replace the changed files and silence the caution.

Technical Support#

You can ask questions and look for answers on Stack Overflow and enter troubles and function requests immediately in our GitHub repository.

If you want to contact a expert support engineer, you could open a price ticket with the Microsoft assisted help group.