Setting up VS Code on macOS

1. Download and Install VS Code

  1. Go to the Visual Studio Code website.
  2. Click the download button for macOS.
  3. Open the .zip file that downloads to extract the VS Code application.
  4. Drag the Visual Studio Code.app to your Applications folder.

2. Add VS Code to PATH (Optional)

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Press Command + Shift + P to open the command palette.
  3. Type Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH and select it.
  4. This enables you to launch VS Code from the terminal using the code command.

3. Install Extensions

  1. Open VS Code and click on the Extensions icon on the left sidebar (or press Command + Shift + X).
  2. Search for and install useful extensions like:
    • Python (for Python development).
    • C/C++ (for C/C++ development).
    • Prettier (code formatter).
    • GitLens (Git tools).
    • Live Server (for web development).
  3. Install any other extensions relevant to your projects or courses.

4. Install Homebrew (Optional)

  1. Open Terminal and type:bashCopyEdit/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
  2. Use Homebrew to install development tools like Node.js or Python as needed:bashCopyEditbrew install node brew install python

5. Sync Settings (Optional)

  1. Log in to VS Code using your GitHub or Microsoft account.
  2. Use the built-in Settings Sync to save and sync extensions, themes, and configurations across devices.

Setting up VS Code on Windows 11

1. Download and Install VS Code

  1. Go to the Visual Studio Code website.
  2. Click the download button for Windows.
  3. Run the downloaded installer and follow the installation wizard:
    • Agree to the license agreement.
    • Select the option to add VS Code to the system PATH (recommended).
    • Choose additional tasks like creating a desktop icon if desired.
  4. Finish the installation process.

2. Install Extensions

  1. Open VS Code and click on the Extensions icon on the left sidebar (or press Ctrl + Shift + X).
  2. Search for and install useful extensions such as:
    • Python.
    • C/C++.
    • Prettier.
    • GitLens.
    • Live Server.

3. Install Git (Optional)

  1. Download Git from git-scm.com.
  2. Run the installer and follow the instructions.
    • Select the option to integrate Git with VS Code during installation.
  3. Verify Git is installed by typing the following in a command prompt or terminal:bashCopyEditgit --version

4. Install Node.js (Optional)

  1. Download Node.js from nodejs.org.
  2. Run the installer and follow the instructions.
  3. Verify the installation by typing in Command Prompt:bashCopyEditnode -v npm -v

5. Sync Settings (Optional)

  1. Log in to VS Code using your GitHub or Microsoft account.
  2. Use Settings Sync to save and sync extensions, themes, and configurations across devices.

Tips for Both Platforms

  • Use the Command Palette (Command + Shift + P on macOS or Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows) to quickly find commands and features.
  • Learn VS Code shortcuts to improve productivity.
  • Regularly update VS Code and extensions for the latest features and bug fixes.

By following these steps, you’ll have a fully functional VS Code environment ready for software development on either macOS or Windows 11.

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