Using the VS Code text editor
If you're writing code, you're using a text editor. Our favorite editor is Visual Studio Code. But, if you have another favorite text editor, feel free to use it. If you’re new to coding, we highly recommend you use VS Code because it’ll be easier for you to follow along with any Skillcrush code-along videos. However, no matter which text editor you choose, you can always change it in the future. Just like buying a new car or bicycle, you’ll need to give the text editor a test drive to see how it feels and determine if it works for you.
Why do we love VS Code so much? Because it has a fantastic extensions library you can use to customize your coding experience. Many coders like to use extensions for changing the text editor themes (i.e., background colors and syntax highlighting) and automatically renaming tags (i.e., change the tag name and it’ll instantly change the name of the other paired tag). Plus, no other editor beats all the top-notch accessibility features of VS Code.
VS Code has excellent docs - the first place to look when you have questions about customizing your workspace. They also have a helpful getting started video.
When opening your files, you’ll want to open the entire project folder in your text editor rather than opening individual files. Opening an entire project instead of individual files helps keep you organized because all your relevant files are already visible and easy to access.
When you open your project folder, you’ll see the file and folders in the project’s root. The root is the first level of the parent folder that contains all the project files, folders, and assets.
FOLLOW-ALONG VIDEOS:
Mac Users:
- Watch how to create, edit, and delete an HTML file on Mac.
- Watch how to unzip, rename, and edit the project files on Mac.
Windows Users:
- Watch how to create, edit, and delete an HTML file on Windows.
- Watch how to unzip, rename, and edit the project files on Windows.
WHAT TO DO:
Download & Install a Text Editor
- Go to the website of your preferred text editor and download it, like Visual Studio Code (recommended).
- Follow the prompts to install the editor for your operating system.
- Once installed, double-click on the icon for your text editor to open it.
Download & Unzip Project Files
- Download the project folder
- Find the folder on your computer and move it to your desktop.
- Unzip and extract the files and folders. Delete the zip file (the file icon with the zipper on it) so you don’t accidentally try to open it in the future and create a copy of your code.
Open Your Project Folder.
- Open your entire project folder in your text editor by clicking File > Open Folder. Locate your project folder on your desktop.
- Now that your folder is open, look inside the root folder. You should see the files and folders you need. Click on the folders to see the files for that folder.
That's it! As you become more comfortable in VS Code, you can customize your workspace with a theme and some of VS Code's many extensions. A Google search for popular extensions for the language you're writing in is a great way to find some gems.