Master VSCode's ASLR: Your Ultimate 2025 Debugging Guide

Fluid Editing

• Move Line Up/Down (Alt + Up/Down Arrow): Move the current line of code without cutting and pasting.
• Duplicate Line (Shift + Alt + Up/Down Arrow): Quickly copy the current line above or below.
• Add Comment Line (Cmd/Ctrl + /): Instantly comment or uncomment the current line or selection.
• Select Current Line (Cmd/Ctrl + L): Grab the entire line your cursor is on.

3. Harness the Power of Multi-Cursor Editing

Stop making the same edit in multiple places one by one. Multi-cursor editing is a superpower that lets you type in several places at once.

• Add Cursor Above/Below (Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down Arrow): Create a new cursor on the line directly above or below.
• Add Cursor at Next Match (Cmd/Ctrl + D): Select the current word, and press it again to select the next occurrence of that word, creating a new cursor at each one. This is perfect for renaming variables within a function.
• Manual Cursor Placement (Alt + Click): Hold Alt and click anywhere in your code to place a new cursor.

Imagine you have a list of items and you need to wrap each one in <li> tags. With multi-cursor, you can do it in seconds, not minutes.

4. Customize Your Workspace with `settings.json`

The settings UI is convenient, but the real power lies in editing the settings.json file directly. VSCode has two levels of settings:

• User Settings: Apply globally to every project you open.
• Workspace Settings: Apply only to the current project and override User Settings. These are stored in a .vscode/settings.json file and can be committed to your repository to ensure team-wide consistency.

Open the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P) and type "Open Settings (JSON)" to get started. Here are a few must-haves:

{
  // Automatically format your code every time you save.
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,

  // Use Prettier as the default formatter for relevant files.
  "[javascript]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
  },
  "[typescript]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
  },

  // Helps with finding files.
  "search.exclude": {
    "**/node_modules": true,
    "**/bower_components": true
  },

  // Render whitespace characters to spot trailing spaces or tab/space mix-ups.
  "editor.renderWhitespace": "all"
}

5. Curate Your Extension Arsenal (Wisely)

It’s tempting to install dozens of extensions, but this can slow down your editor. The key is to find a small, curated set that solves real problems.

• Prettier - Code formatter: The single most important extension for code consistency. It automatically formats your code to a strict set of rules. No more arguments about style.
• ESLint: Integrates the popular JavaScript/TypeScript linter directly into your editor, catching bugs and style issues as you type.
• GitLens — Git supercharged: This extension is a game-changer. It shows you who wrote each line of code (git blame), when it was changed, and lets you navigate a file's history with ease.
• Live Server: Launches a local development server with a live reload feature for static and dynamic pages. A must-have for web developers.

6. Dominate the Integrated Terminal & Debugger

Constantly switching between your editor and a separate terminal window is a drag. VSCode's integrated terminal keeps you in the flow.

Press Ctrl + ` (backtick) to toggle it. You can even split the terminal to run multiple processes side-by-side (e.g., your dev server and git commands).

Even more powerful is the integrated debugger. Stop littering your code with console.log(). Go to the "Run and Debug" tab (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + D), set a breakpoint by clicking in the gutter next to a line number, and launch a debug session. You can inspect variables, step through code execution, and find bugs in a structured way.

7. Leverage Snippets for Repetitive Code

How often do you type console.log() or the boilerplate for a React component? Snippets are templates for repetitive code blocks that you can trigger with a short prefix.

VSCode comes with many built-in snippets. For example, in a JavaScript file, type log and press Tab to expand it to console.log().

You can also create your own. Open the Command Palette and search for "Configure User Snippets". Select your language (e.g., javascript.json) and define your own. Here’s a simple one for a better console log:

{
  "Super Console Log": {
    "prefix": "clg",
    "body": [
      "console.log('--- $1 ---', $1);",
      "$2"
    ],
    "description": "Log a variable with a label"
  }
}

Now, typing clg and pressing Tab will expand to a labeled log statement, saving you keystrokes and time.

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Conclusion: The Path to Mastery

Mastering VSCode is a journey, not a destination. Don't try to learn all of this at once. Pick one or two tips from this list and focus on integrating them into your daily workflow for a week. Once they become second nature, come back and pick another.

By investing a little time in learning your primary tool, you'll reap massive rewards in productivity, focus, and even job satisfaction. Now go forth and code faster!