VS Code fundamentals
You learn to use the editor, the integrated terminal, search and multiple cursors, the Git panel and extensions comfortably in daily work.
Level 101 · 14 lessons · 12 practice labs
Lessons
The editor
- Opening a folder, the explorer and workspaces
- The command palette and shortcuts
- Search, replace and multiple cursors
- Settings and settings.json
- Short task: edit a hundred-line config with multiple cursors
Terminal and Git
- The integrated terminal and tasks
- The source control panel: staging and commits
- The diff view and the merge editor
- Short task: resolve a conflicted merge in the editor
Extensions
- Installing extensions and judging their trust
- Workspace trust and restricted mode
- Linters and formatters
- Short task: prepare recommended extensions and settings for the team
Wrap-up
- Capstone: edit and commit a script project end to end in VS Code
Practice labs
- A JSON array from a host list: Turn a line-by-line list of host names into a quoted, comma-separated JSON array with multiple cursors, and show in the editor that the file is valid JSON.
- A date format across twenty files: Convert day-month-year dates to year-month-day in every script in the workspace using a regular expression with capture groups, leave the archive folder out and report how many files changed.
- A YAML inventory from a messy export: Turn Ekin Co-op’s messy CSV export into a clean YAML inventory without writing a script, using only column selection, multiple cursors, regular expressions and line sorting.
- Settings for this project only: Set tab size, trailing whitespace trimming and format-on-save for the workspace only without touching user settings, and show the settings.json file.
- Two repositories, one window: Combine the scripts repository and the configuration repository into a multi-root workspace, give each folder its own settings and hidden-file patterns and save the workspace file.
- Python files that still use tabs: Find why Python files are still indented with tabs given the precedence between user, workspace, language-specific settings and .editorconfig, and fix it with one change at the right level.
- A test task on a shortcut: Define a task in tasks.json that runs the project’s test script as the default test task, and show it runs in the integrated terminal from the shortcut.
- Two commits from one file: Split two unrelated changes in the same file into two commits by staging selected lines in the source control panel, and show both commits in the timeline.
- A task chain that feeds the Problems panel: Define dependent tasks that run the linter, tests and packaging in order, and write a problem matcher that puts linter output into the Problems panel with file and line.
- An extension recommendation that ships with the repo: Add a recommended-extensions file to the workspace, install the recommended shell script linter and show the warnings in the sample script appear in the editor.
- Open an untrusted repo in restricted mode: Open the lab repository of unknown origin in restricted mode, find the tasks set to run on folder open and settings that execute commands, and list what restricted mode blocked.
- The safe one among three look-alike extensions: Inspect the manifests, activation events and scripts of three look-alike extension packages given in the lab, choose the safe one with reasons and install only that one from its package.
About this course
You learn to use the editor, the integrated terminal, search and multiple cursors, the Git panel and extensions comfortably in daily work.
What you will learn
- The editor
- Terminal and Git
- Extensions
- Wrap-up
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge is needed; the course starts from zero.
Lab environment
Lessons run on your own Kali Linux desktop in the browser, with the tools ready in their windowed interfaces. Nothing to install; a computer screen is recommended.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this course right for my level?
- The course is at beginner level; every term is explained where it first appears.
- Is there anything to install?
- No. Every lesson runs in your own lab environment that opens in the browser.
- How do lessons work?
- Each lesson has 8 to 10 steps and a short quiz. Early steps show the command to type, later steps give less help; if two attempts fail, the solution opens.
- Can I try it for free?
- Yes. The first three lessons of every course are free.