Exploring Terminal in Visual Studio Code

If you’re a developer, you must be aware of the significance of the terminal to access your operating system shell. But, did you know it’s possible to execute shell commands directly from within the IDE? Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is an IDE containing an integrated terminal. In this article, we will dive into the world of the terminal in Visual Studio Code to explore various customization options and frequently used commands.

Opening the Terminal

There are a couple of ways to open the terminal in VS Code. You could either use the menu bar or keyboard shortcuts. For the first method, select Terminal -> New Terminal in the menu bar. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + `. This will enable you to effortlessly access the integrated terminal pane.

Using Terminal for Navigation

Once you’ve opened the terminal, navigate through your project directory with ease. CD (Change Directory), LS (List), and DIR (Directory) are some popular shell commands. To switch to a different directory in your project, use the CD name followed by the path of the directory you’d like to move to. The sample command is as follows:

  cd my_project_folder/

To list all files within the current directory, use the LS command in macOS or DIR in Windows, as shown below:

  For Mac: ls

  For Windows: dir

Using Terminal for Running your Code

VS Code terminal enables you to run your code directly from it. Various programming languages such as Python or Java use different commands. In Python, for instance, run your script using the following command:

  python myscript.py

For other programming languages that require code compilation, compile, and run. Appropriate terminal commands will vary based on your programming language. The terminal in VS Code is also a fantastic option for debugging your code.

Customizing the Terminal in Visual Studio Code

Thanks to the highly customizable terminal in VS Code, you can easily change the appearance, fonts, or colors. You can also customize your preferred shell, among other features. Open settings (JSON) and customize terminal settings by adding or modifying various configuration options in the JSON file.

Conclusion

The terminal is an essential tool for developers to efficiently execute tasks from the IDE. Visual Studio Code has an integrated terminal that is user-friendly and highly customizable. By following the above steps, you can start using the Visual Studio Code terminal and boost your productivity in coding.