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VS Code in action

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Welcome to Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code combines the simplicity of a code editor with what developers need for their core edit-build-debug cycle. It provides comprehensive code editing, navigation, and understanding support along with lightweight debugging, a rich extensibility model, and lightweight integration with existing tools.

Quick Start

Get up and running with VS Code in under 5 minutes

Installation

Install VS Code on Windows, macOS, or Linux

Build from Source

Learn how to build and run VS Code from source

Contributing

Join the community and contribute to VS Code

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Key Features

Go beyond syntax highlighting and autocomplete with IntelliSense, which provides smart completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules.
Debug code right from the editor. Launch or attach to your running apps and debug with break points, call stacks, and an interactive console.
Working with Git and other SCM providers has never been easier. Review diffs, stage files, and make commits right from the editor. Push and pull from any hosted SCM service.
Install extensions to add new languages, themes, debuggers, and to connect to additional services. Extensions run in separate processes, ensuring they won’t slow down your editor.

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Why VS Code?

Fast & Lightweight

Starts up quickly and stays responsive even with large projects

Cross-Platform

Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux with the same experience

Open Source

Built with the community under the MIT license

Keyboard Shortcuts

Extensive keyboard shortcuts for efficient editing

Customizable

Themes, keybindings, settings, and extensions for every need

Integrated Terminal

Run commands and scripts without leaving the editor

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Monthly Updates

Visual Studio Code is updated monthly with new features and bug fixes. You can download the latest stable release from the official website. For the latest features every day, install the Insiders build.
The VS Code project follows a monthly iteration cycle, with new features and improvements released on a predictable schedule.

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Architecture Overview

VS Code is built with a layered architecture using TypeScript, web APIs and Electron, combining web technologies with native app capabilities:
1

Base Layer

Foundation utilities and cross-platform abstractions providing core functionality
2

Platform Layer

Platform services and dependency injection infrastructure for extensibility
3

Editor Layer

Text editor implementation with language services, syntax highlighting, and editing features
4

Workbench Layer

Main application workbench for web and desktop with views, panels, and contributions

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Community & Support

Stack Overflow

Ask questions using the vscode tag

GitHub Issues

Report bugs and request features

GitHub Discussions

Connect with extension authors and developers

Twitter

Follow @code for the latest updates

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Get Started

Ready to dive in? Start with our quick start guide to get VS Code installed and running your first project:

Get Started with VS Code

Follow our quick start guide to open a project, edit files, and run your code in under 5 minutes.