VSCode shortcuts that actually save time

TL;DR: Master a small set of navigation, editing, multi-cursor, and refactoring shortcuts. Drill them daily for 10 minutes. The payoff compounds.

Principles

• Use a minimal set that covers 80 percent of actions.
• Drill them in a low-stakes sandbox for muscle memory.

Navigation

• Go to file: Ctrl+P or Cmd+P
• Go to symbol: Ctrl+Shift+O or Cmd+Shift+O
• Peek definitions: Alt+F12 or Option+F12

Editing

• Duplicate line: Shift+Alt+Down or Shift+Option+Down
• Move line: Alt+Up/Down or Option+Up/Down
• Format: Shift+Alt+F or Shift+Option+F

Multi-cursor

• Multi-cursor click: Alt+Click or Option+Click
• Select next occurrence: Ctrl+D or Cmd+D
• Column selection: Shift+Alt+Drag or Shift+Option+Drag

Refactoring

• Rename symbol: F2
• Quick fix: Ctrl+. or Cmd+.
• Extract to function or constant: use quick fix after selection

10-minute practice

• Open a practice file and perform a set of edits using only shortcuts.
• Repeat daily and add one new shortcut per week.

FAQ

Should I customize keybindings
Only if the default conflicts with your muscle memory from another editor. Consistency across machines helps.

What are real multi-cursor use cases
Editing many similar lines, renaming variables across a small scope, or adding imports in several places.

Cast this in your project

• VSCode Desk Mat - Windows and Linux to keep keybindings visible.
• VSCode Desk Mat - MacOS for the mac-first setup.

Image credit: Photo by Christina Morillo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-silver-macbook-pro-1181467/