Here are some settings that I change when I install VS Code on a new computer.
Change these by searching for them in the settings UI (Ctrl-comma on Windows or ⌘-, on Mac). Or open the JSON and paste them in; access the JSON from the command palette (Ctrl-Shift-P) by searching for Preferences: Open Settings (JSON).
autosave
Please save my files.
"files.autoSave": "onFocusChange",
autoformat
Please format my files. This only works on files associated with an installed formatter extension.
"editor.formatOnSave": true,
goodbye minimap
My screen is too small to want this miniaturized representation of my file at the right.
"editor.minimap.enabled": false,
goodbye activity bar
Those buttons on the left, I can get to them from the menu. Give me real estate.
"workbench.activityBar.visible": false,
Another thing to know, especially when you have the activity bar off: the Explorer window (or Debug, or Extensions, or whichever you have open) toggles with Ctrl-B (or ⌘-B 0n Mac).
Explorer window opens with Ctrl-Shift-E (⌘-shift-e on a Mac).
window title
I like the title of my window to be only the filename. And I think this gives some indication of whether it needs saved.
"window.title": "${dirty}${rootName}",
open projects in their own window
At a command line (outside VSCode), when I type code . please open a new VSCode window. Do not add this folder to an existing, open project.
"window.openFoldersInNewWindow": "on",
Also, make it big.
"window.newWindowDimensions": "maximized",
stop it with popping stuff up all the time
Especially when live coding, I don’t want stuff popping up on my cursor all day. It bothers me.
"editor.quickSuggestions": {
"other": false,
"comments": false,
"strings": false,
},
no carriage returns please
On Windows, when creating a new file, please don’t use carriage returns in the line endings. We don’t need those anymore.
"files.eol": "\n",
all together now
Here are all of them in one cut-and-paste-able block for my next settings.json.
{
"files.autoSave": "onFocusChange",
"editor.formatOnSave": true,
"workbench.activityBar.visible": false,
"editor.quickSuggestions": {
"other": false,
"comments": false,
"strings": false,
},
"window.openFoldersInNewWindow": "on",
"editor.minimap.enabled": false,
"window.title": "${dirty}${rootName}",
"window.newWindowDimensions": "maximized",
"files.eol": "\n",
}