Microsoft has gone on to announce the release of version 1.8 of its open-source and cross-platform Visual Studio Code text editor. It has also introduced a few features which have been missing in the software since its first release in the year 2015.
Image Source: code.visualstudio.com
The editor now comes with the Zen Mode, and you will now be able to enable it by typing ⌘-K-Z (Ctrl-K-Z in Windows) and disable it by hitting escape twice. You will also be able to turn it ON or OFF just by using the Toggle Zen Mode option, which is available in the View dropdown menu. The resulting look goes on to hide the activity bar, the sidebar, the panel as well as the status bar, along with switching the app to full-screen mode. The Atom has an optional Zen package andSublime Text having a built-in Distraction Free Mode.
Image Source: code.visualstudio.com
The latest release also goes on to include a new feature which is known as Hot Exit. It remembers your unsaved changes when you close all the windows, or when you quit the app on Mac, hence they only go on to appear when you reopen the app, even if the feature has not been turned on.
The updated version of the app now comes with a simpler way, so as to find the settings which you have been looking for. When you open the Workspace Settings or User Settings, you will be able to view a new search bar available at the top.
“In addition to showing and highlighting settings matching your search criteria, this will also filter out those settings which are not matching.”
You will also be able to hide the activity bar, as now, a new Hide Activity Bar option is also available in the View dropdown. You are able to hide it by opening Command Palette (⌘-Shift-P or Ctrl-Shift-P) and typing in Toggle Activity Bar Visibility. In addition to this, you will be able to add or remove certain things from the Activity Bar, with the help of the control click or right click, or drag and drop things so as to change their order.
It is now also possible to quickly open the additional tools such as Git, a terminal window, the debug window, and the extensions window. This is known as View Picker. You simply hold down the control and hit Q repeatedly,in order to get the option which you like, or you can also go on to type (⌘P or Ctrl-P) from Quick Open and you can type “view’ and hit the space bar once.