How to Open VS Code from Terminal on Mac

Opening VS Code from the Terminal on Mac

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful and popular code editor. While you can open it through the Applications folder or Launchpad, opening VS Code from the terminal can be much more efficient, especially when working with command-line tools and navigating project directories. This article outlines several ways to open VS Code from the Mac terminal.

1. Using the code command:

The simplest and recommended method is using the code command. This requires a one-time setup to add the VS Code command-line tool to your system’s PATH.

• Opening VS Code: After setup, simply type code in your terminal and press Enter. This will launch a new VS Code window.

• Opening a specific file or folder: To open a specific file or folder directly in VS Code, use the following command:

bash
code /path/to/your/file.txt
code /path/to/your/project/
Replace /path/to/your/file.txt and /path/to/your/project/ with the actual paths. You can also use relative paths. For example, if you are currently in the project directory, you can simply type code . to open the current folder in VS Code.

• Setting up the code command (if not already configured):

  • From within VS Code:

    1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P).
    2. Type “Shell Command” and select “Install ‘code’ command in PATH”.

  • Manually:

    1. Launch VS Code.
    2. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P).
    3. Type “Shell Command” and select “Install ‘code’ command in PATH”. If this doesn’t work, proceed with the following steps:
    4. Open the Command Palette and select “Install ‘code’ command in PATH (manually)”. This will provide instructions specific to your VS Code installation. Usually, it involves copying a path and adding it to your shell’s configuration file (e.g., ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, or ~/.bash_profile).
    5. After updating the configuration file, either restart your terminal or run source ~/.zshrc (or the relevant command for your shell) to apply the changes.

2. Using the open command:

You can use the open command with the -a flag to specify the application. This method doesn’t require adding VS Code to your PATH.

• Opening VS Code:

bash
open -a "Visual Studio Code"

• Opening a file or folder:

bash
open -a "Visual Studio Code" /path/to/your/file.txt
open -a "Visual Studio Code" /path/to/your/project/

3. Specifying the full path to the VS Code executable:

This is the least preferred method, as it’s verbose and requires knowing the exact path. However, it’s useful if other methods fail.

• Find the path to the VS Code executable. It’s typically located in /Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron.

• Open VS Code from the terminal:

bash
/Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron

• Open a file or folder:

  bash
/Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron /path/to/your/file.txt
/Applications/Visual\ Studio\ Code.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron /path/to/your/project/
  Remember to escape spaces in paths with a backslash (\).

Choosing the Right Method:

The code command is the most convenient and recommended approach. Ensure it’s correctly configured in your PATH. The open command is a good alternative if you don’t want to modify your PATH. Using the full path is generally unnecessary and should be avoided unless other methods are unavailable.

By following these steps, you can seamlessly integrate VS Code into your terminal workflow and boost your development productivity.