1. Download Visual Studio Code from the official website
  2. Drag the application into your Applications folder
  3. Launch VSCode

To enable running VSCode from the Terminal

  1. Open VSCode Command Palette (⇧⌘P / Shift+Cmd+P)
  2. Type “Shell”
  3. Select “Shell Command: Install ‘code’ command in PATH”

After setup, you can use commands like:

code .              # Open current directory in VSCode
code file.txt       # Open a specific file in VSCode
code -r .           # Open current directory in the existing VSCode window

To add “Open in VSCode” to Finder Context Menu

  1. Open Automator (from Applications or using Spotlight)
  2. Create a new Quick Action workflow
  3. Configure the workflow settings:
    • Workflow receives: files and folders
    • In: Finder
  4. Add a Run Shell Script action (search in the library)
  5. Set the shell to /bin/bash
  6. Use the following script: 
    for f in "$@"
do
   open -a "Visual Studio Code" "$f"
done
  7. Save the workflow as “Open in Visual Studio Code”

Now you can right-click on files or folders in Finder and select “Open in Visual Studio Code” from the Quick Actions menu.

Settings Sync (Built-in)

VSCode has a built-in settings sync feature that allows you to synchronize your settings, extensions, and keybindings across different machines. To enable it:

  1. Click on the account icon in the bottom-left corner
  2. Select “Turn on Settings Sync”
  3. Choose which settings to sync (extensions, themes, keybindings, etc.)

macOS Keyboard Shortcuts

  • ⌘P - Quick Open, Go to File
  • ⇧⌘P - Command Palette
  • ⌥⌘F - Replace in files
  • ⌘B - Toggle sidebar
  • ⌃` - Toggle integrated terminal