VS Code Terminal and CLI

VS Code•Permalink

Integrated terminal workflows plus `code` CLI commands for opening files, folders, diffs, and extensions.

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Integrated Terminal

Create new terminal

Open another terminal session.

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textANYterminal

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Command Palette: Terminal: Create New Terminal

Split terminal

Create side-by-side terminal panes.

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Command Palette: Terminal: Split Terminal

Rename terminal

Give a terminal tab a meaningful name.

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Command Palette: Terminal: Rename

Run selected text in active terminal

Send selected code to the terminal.

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Command Palette: Terminal: Run Selected Text in Active Terminal

`code` CLI Basics

Show VS Code CLI help

Display usage and options.

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bashANYcli

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code --help

Open in a new window

Launch a folder in a separate VS Code window.

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bashANYcliwindow

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code -n .

Reuse current window

Open in the current window instead of creating a new one.

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bashANYcliwindow

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code -r .

Open multiple files or folders

Pass many paths to VS Code.

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bashANYclifiles

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code README.md src/ package.json

Wait until editor closes

Useful from Git commit editors and automation scripts.

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bashANYcliworkflow

bash

code --wait path/to/file.txt

Start with extensions disabled

Helpful for troubleshooting extension issues.

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bashANYcliextensionstroubleshooting

bash

code --disable-extensions

CLI Advanced

Install an extension from the CLI

Add an extension by identifier.

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bashANYcliextensions

bash

code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode

Uninstall an extension from the CLI

Remove an installed extension by identifier.

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bashANYcliextensions

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code --uninstall-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode

List installed extensions

Print extension identifiers to stdout.

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bashANYcliextensions

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code --list-extensions

Export extension list

Create a portable list of installed extensions.

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bashANYcliextensionsbackup

bash

code --list-extensions > vscode-extensions.txt

More in VS Code

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VS Code settings.json Cookbook

Useful user and workspace settings.json snippets for formatting, files, search, editor behavior, and terminal preferences.

VS Code Debugging and Tasks

Launch configurations, breakpoints, tasks.json, and common debugging workflows in VS Code.

VS Code Search and Regex

Search, replace, regex, and multi-file refactoring patterns in VS Code.

VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts

High-value VS Code shortcuts for navigation, editing, multi-cursor, search, panels, and windows.

VS Code Cheat Sheet

Comprehensive VS Code reference for navigation, editing, multi-cursor, search, terminal, debugging, settings, and Git workflows.

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