Table of Contents

Productivity Features

Maximize your documentation efficiency with advanced VS Code features, keyboard shortcuts, and workflow optimizations designed specifically for technical writing and Documentation as Code workflows.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Markdown-Specific Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts for faster markdown editing:

Shortcut Action Description
Ctrl+Shift+V Preview Side by Side Open markdown preview in split view
Ctrl+K V Preview in Tab Open markdown preview in new tab
Ctrl+Shift+O Document Outline Show document structure and navigation
Ctrl+B Bold Text Toggle bold formatting
Ctrl+I Italic Text Toggle italic formatting
Ctrl+Shift+] Increase Heading Level Convert text to heading (h1, h2, etc.)
Ctrl+Shift+[ Decrease Heading Level Reduce heading level

Efficiently navigate large documentation projects:

Shortcut Action Description
Ctrl+P Quick Open Find and open files quickly
Ctrl+Shift+P Command Palette Access all VS Code commands
Ctrl+G Go to Line Jump to specific line number
Ctrl+Shift+O Go to Symbol Navigate to headings and sections
F12 Go to Definition Follow cross-references and links
Alt+Left/Right Navigate Back/Forward Move through navigation history

Editing Shortcuts

Speed up content creation and editing:

Shortcut Action Description
Ctrl+D Select Next Occurrence Multi-cursor editing
Ctrl+Shift+L Select All Occurrences Edit all instances simultaneously
Alt+Up/Down Move Line Reorder content lines
Shift+Alt+Up/Down Copy Line Duplicate lines or blocks
Ctrl+/ Toggle Comment Comment/uncomment lines
Ctrl+Shift+K Delete Line Remove entire line

Advanced VS Code Features

Multi-Cursor Editing

Use multi-cursor functionality for efficient batch editing:

Selecting Multiple Instances

  1. Select word: Ctrl+D to select next occurrence
  2. Select all: Ctrl+Shift+L to select all occurrences
  3. Column selection: Shift+Alt+Drag for column editing

Practical Examples

Updating multiple headings:

# Getting Started
# Configuration
# Deployment

Select "Getting Started", then Ctrl+D twice to select all headings, then type to replace all simultaneously.

Formatting lists:

Item 1
Item 2  
Item 3

Use Alt+Click to place cursors, then type - to convert to bulleted list.

Snippets and Templates

Built-in Markdown Snippets

VS Code includes helpful markdown snippets:

  • code → Inline code span
  • codeblock → Fenced code block
  • table → Markdown table template
  • link → Link reference
  • image → Image reference

Custom Documentation Snippets

Create project-specific snippets for common patterns:

{
  "API Endpoint Documentation": {
    "prefix": "api-endpoint",
    "body": [
      "### ${1:METHOD} ${2:/api/endpoint}",
      "",
      "**Description:** ${3:Endpoint description}",
      "",
      "**Parameters:**",
      "",
      "| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |",
      "|-----------|------|----------|-------------|",
      "| ${4:param} | ${5:string} | ${6:Yes} | ${7:Description} |",
      "",
      "**Response:**",
      "",
      "```json",
      "{",
      "  \"${8:key}\": \"${9:value}\"",
      "}",
      "```",
      "$0"
    ],
    "description": "API endpoint documentation template"
  }
}

Zen Mode and Focus

Distraction-Free Writing

Enable Zen Mode for focused writing sessions:

  • Toggle Zen Mode: Ctrl+K Z
  • Exit Zen Mode: Escape twice

Centered Layout

Configure centered layout for better reading experience:

{
  "zenMode.centerLayout": true,
  "zenMode.hideTabs": true,
  "zenMode.hideStatusBar": true,
  "zenMode.hideActivityBar": true,
  "zenMode.fullScreen": false
}

File Management

Quick File Operations

Efficiently manage documentation files:

Action Shortcut Description
New File Ctrl+N Create new document
Save Ctrl+S Save current file
Save All Ctrl+K S Save all open files
Close Tab Ctrl+W Close current tab
Reopen Tab Ctrl+Shift+T Reopen recently closed tab

File Explorer Productivity

Navigate and manage files efficiently:

  • Toggle Sidebar: Ctrl+B
  • Focus Explorer: Ctrl+Shift+E
  • Create File: a (when explorer is focused)
  • Create Folder: Shift+a (when explorer is focused)
  • Rename: F2 (when file is selected)

Search and Replace Mastery

Advanced Search Features

Search across entire documentation projects:

  1. Open Search: Ctrl+Shift+F
  2. Include/Exclude: Use glob patterns to filter files
  3. Regex Search: Enable regex for complex patterns
  4. Replace All: Batch replace across multiple files

Search Patterns for Documentation

Find broken links:

\[.*?\]\((?!http).*?\)

Find TODO comments:

<!-- TODO.*? -->

Find missing alt text:

!\[?\]\(.*?\)

Find and Replace Workflows

Standardizing Terminology

Use find and replace to maintain consistent terminology:

  1. Case-sensitive replacement: Toggle case sensitivity
  2. Whole word matching: Avoid partial replacements
  3. Preview changes: Review before applying

Batch Formatting Updates

Converting heading styles:

  • Find: # (.+)
  • Replace: ## $1

Updating link formats:

  • Find: \[(.+?)\]\((.+?)\)
  • Replace: [$1]($2){:target="_blank"}

Live Preview and Editing

Split View Productivity

Optimize split view for efficient writing:

Horizontal vs Vertical Split

  • Vertical Split: Ctrl+\ - Better for wide monitors
  • Horizontal Split: Ctrl+Shift+\ - Better for reviewing long content

Synchronized Scrolling

Enable synchronized scrolling between editor and preview:

{
  "markdown.preview.scrollPreviewWithEditor": true,
  "markdown.preview.scrollEditorWithPreview": true
}

Real-time Collaboration

Live Share for Documentation

Use Live Share for collaborative editing:

  1. Start Session: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Live Share: Start Session"
  2. Share Link: Send invitation to collaborators
  3. Shared Terminal: Collaborate on builds and deployments
  4. Voice Chat: Integrated communication

Task and Project Management

Integrated Terminal

Maximize terminal productivity for documentation workflows:

Multiple Terminal Sessions

  • New Terminal: `Ctrl+Shift+`` (backtick)
  • Split Terminal: Ctrl+Shift+5
  • Switch Terminal: Ctrl+PageUp/PageDown

Terminal Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Ctrl+C Copy selection
Ctrl+V Paste
Ctrl+A Select all
Ctrl+L Clear terminal

Tasks and Build Automation

Predefined Tasks

Configure common documentation tasks:

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Build DocFX",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "docfx",
      "args": ["build"],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Serve DocFX",
      "type": "shell", 
      "command": "docfx",
      "args": ["serve", "_site"],
      "group": "build",
      "isBackground": true
    }
  ]
}

Task Shortcuts

  • Run Task: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Tasks: Run Task"
  • Build: Ctrl+Shift+B (if configured as build task)

Extensions for Enhanced Productivity

Must-Have Productivity Extensions

Core Extensions

# Bracket management
code --install-extension ms-vscode.bracketPairColorizer

# Git integration
code --install-extension mhutchie.git-graph

# File management
code --install-extension alefragnani.project-manager

# Productivity tools
code --install-extension formulahendry.auto-rename-tag
code --install-extension ms-vscode.vscode-json

Documentation-Specific Extensions

# Enhanced markdown editing
code --install-extension yzhang.markdown-all-in-one
code --install-extension shd101wyy.markdown-preview-enhanced

# Diagram support
code --install-extension bierner.markdown-mermaid
code --install-extension hediet.vscode-drawio

# Table management
code --install-extension phplasma.csv-to-table

Extension Configuration

Optimized Settings

{
  // Auto-save for continuous backup
  "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
  "files.autoSaveDelay": 10000,
  
  // Enhanced search
  "search.smartCase": true,
  "search.useGlobalIgnoreFiles": true,
  
  // Improved Git integration
  "git.enableCommitSigning": true,
  "git.autofetch": true,
  
  // Bracket pair colorization
  "editor.bracketPairColorization.enabled": true,
  "editor.guides.bracketPairs": "active"
}

Workflow Optimization

Documentation Project Templates

Project Structure Template

Create standardized project structures:

docs/
├── .vscode/
│   ├── settings.json
│   ├── extensions.json
│   └── tasks.json
├── images/
├── templates/
├── index.md
├── toc.yml
└── docfx.json

Automated Setup Script

# Setup new documentation project
param(
    [string]$ProjectName
)

New-Item -Path $ProjectName -ItemType Directory
Set-Location $ProjectName

# Create directory structure
@('docs', 'images', 'templates', '.vscode') | ForEach-Object {
    New-Item -Path $_ -ItemType Directory
}

# Copy configuration templates
Copy-Item -Path "..\.templates\.vscode\*" -Destination ".vscode\"
Copy-Item -Path "..\.templates\docfx.json" -Destination "."

Write-Host "Documentation project '$ProjectName' created successfully!"

Content Management Workflows

Content Planning

Use VS Code for content planning and organization:

  1. Create outline files: Use .md files for planning
  2. Use TODO comments: Track content requirements
  3. Link drafts: Connect related content pieces
  4. Version control: Track content evolution

Review and Quality Assurance

Implement systematic review processes:

  1. Spell checking: Use Code Spell Checker extension
  2. Link validation: Check internal and external links
  3. Style consistency: Apply markdown linting rules
  4. Content review: Use Live Share for collaborative reviews

Performance Optimization

VS Code Performance Settings

Optimize VS Code for large documentation projects:

{
  // Reduce file watching overhead
  "files.watcherExclude": {
    "**/.git/**": true,
    "**/node_modules/**": true,
    "**/_site/**": true,
    "**/dist/**": true
  },
  
  // Limit search scope
  "search.exclude": {
    "**/node_modules": true,
    "**/bower_components": true,
    "**/_site": true
  },
  
  // Optimize editor performance
  "editor.suggest.showWords": false,
  "editor.hover.delay": 1000,
  "search.searchOnType": false
}

Memory Management

Monitor and optimize VS Code memory usage:

  • Check Extension Impact: Use Developer Tools (Ctrl+Shift+I)
  • Disable Unused Extensions: Reduce memory footprint
  • Restart Regularly: Clear accumulated memory usage
  • Use Workspaces: Organize projects efficiently

Automation and Scripts

VS Code Tasks for Documentation

Common Documentation Tasks

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Check Links",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "markdown-link-check",
      "args": ["**/*.md"],
      "group": "test"
    },
    {
      "label": "Spell Check All",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "cspell",
      "args": ["**/*.md"],
      "group": "test"
    },
    {
      "label": "Generate TOC",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "doctoc",
      "args": ["**/*.md"],
      "group": "build"
    }
  ]
}

PowerShell Integration

Leverage PowerShell for documentation automation:

# Generate file listing for documentation
function Get-DocStructure {
    param([string]$Path = ".")
    
    Get-ChildItem -Path $Path -Recurse -Name | 
    Where-Object { $_ -like "*.md" } |
    ForEach-Object {
        $relativePath = $_.Replace('\', '/')
        "- [$_]($relativePath)"
    }
}

# Word count for documentation project
function Get-DocWordCount {
    Get-ChildItem -Filter "*.md" -Recurse |
    ForEach-Object {
        $content = Get-Content $_.FullName -Raw
        $wordCount = ($content -split '\s+').Count
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            File = $_.Name
            Words = $wordCount
            Path = $_.FullName
        }
    } | Sort-Object Words -Descending
}

Next: Learn about collaboration workflows for team-based documentation projects.

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