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Many people like using Notepad for to its speed, efficiency, and minimalist interface. However, there’s one tool, also developed by Microsoft, that has all those benefits and then some. Here’s why you should consider replacing Notepad with Visual Studio Code.
1VS Code Has a Customizable User Interface
Visual Studio Code (VS Code)has a customizable interface you’re able to tailor to suit your needs and workflow. This can make it more comfortable to use and enhance your productivity. And if you’re someone who loves Notepad’s minimalism, you can tweak the layout to be less distracting.
you may adjust the positions of sidebars, panels, and the activity bar to create a custom layout, as well as show and hide them. To do that, clickView > Appearanceand then start toggling and repositioning UI elements in the menu.
For example, you can place the sidebar on the right by clickingView > Appearance > Move Primary Side Bar to the Right.
You can also change the theme to make the user interface more pleasant to look at or switch to a darker theme to reduce eye strain. To do that, clickSettings > Themes > Color Themes.
You can press theUporDownarrow keys to preview the themes. When you find one you like, click it to switch to it.
Furthermore, you canget more VS Code themesfrom the marketplace. To do that, open the theme selection menu again and clickBrowse Additional Color Themes. Then, click on a theme from the list to select it, and clickOKin the prompt to install it.
You can change the theme for the file and product icons in the settings as well.
2VS Code Has a Built-In File Explorer
If you’re working on multiple text files within a folder, VS Code’s file explorer allows you to organize and access them without switching applications. You can open the folder in VS Code by clickingFile > Open Folderand selecting it.
The files and folders will appear in the navigation pane on the left. you’re able to click on files to open them or drag and drop them into the editor. Each file you open will have its own tab in the editor instead of opening an entirely new VS Code window.
You can also create files and folders in the navigation pane by right-clicking an empty space and selectingNew FileorNew Folder.
Furthermore, the file explorer allows you to search for different files and the content within them. To do that, clickSearch—the magnifying glass icon—in the sidebar and type your query.
It also has advanced search features like searching by file type, excluding specific folders, regular expressions, and matching cases or whole words.
3VS Code Has Markdown Support
Unlike Notepad, VS Code has robust Markdown support that makes it enjoyable to write. For instance, it has syntax highlighting where Markdown elements (for example, headers, quotes, and code blocks) are automatically color-coded to make them easier to identify. It also has Markdown snippets, which are predefined templates that insert common Markdown elements. These save you time and reduce manual errors.
Syntax highlighting is automatic, but you have to pressCtrl + Spaceto bring up the snippets menu. Then, click the one you want to insert the Markdown in the text.
you’re able to also see how the Markdown will look by clicking theOpen Preview to the Sidebutton (the icon looks like a split square with a magnifying glass) in the top-right corner. You can also pressControl + K, thenV.
You can continue to edit the Markdown in the editor, and the changes will still be rendered live on the preview pane.
One more feature worth mentioning is that the file explorer makes embedding images a breeze. You can drag and drop the image into the editor. You can also insert images in your Markdown this way from outside VS Code (for example, Windows File Explorer).
The Markdown will be automatically added for you—no need to struggle with remembering syntax and file paths.
4VS Code Supports Extensions
VS Code is extensible, meaning you can extend its functionality with extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace. You can installas many VS Code extensions as you liketo help you with your text editing needs, such as checking spelling, bookmarking for quick navigation, and auto-formatting text based on a specific style.
To install an extension, clickExtensions—the puzzle piece icon—in the sidebar, search for the extension you want, and clickInstall.
Before you install the extension, you can click it to see its description (you can also install it from there). This can help you see if it has the features you need and instructions on how to use it.
5VS Code Offers Multi-Cursor Selection
On top of find and replace (Notepad only has the find feature), VS Code has multicursor selection. This allows you to select multiple words and phrases in the editor and tweak them simultaneously.
To use multi-cursor selection, pressAltand highlight the text. Afterward, type what you want, and VS Code will replace the highlighted text at once. you may even use this to delete text.
You can also use the feature to insert new text in several places simultaneously. Just holdAlt, click where you want to insert it (this will create multiple cursors), and start typing.
6VS Code Allows Split View Editing
In VS Code, you can split the editor into different panels, creating multiple views in the same window. This has several productivity advantages. You can, for instance, use it to compare documents, edit related sections, or keep reference materials open as you write your text.
To split the editor, clickView > Editor Layoutand selectSplit Up,Split Down,Split Left, orSplit Right. Any one of those options will create another editor in the specified direction.
You can split the editors further to create the layout you want. You can create a 1x2 grid, 4x4 grid, or whatever layout suits your workflow.
One thing to note is that each split editor goes into its own editor group. Any additional files you open will appear within a particular group as tabs.
Remember that VS Code is often referred to as a code editor rather than a text editor. With features like syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging tools, version control, and extensions, you can alsoset up VS Codeto function as an Integrated Development Environment.
So, if you want to code (HTML, Python, JavaScript, C#, GDScript, and more) or edit something like a batch or registry file, VS Code is a no-brainer.
