🔹 Part 1: Essential VS Code Shortcuts for Navigation & File Management (Windows + Mac)
Hey devs! 👋
This is Part 1 of my 3-part series: “Mastering VS Code Shortcuts”, where I’ll walk you through the most powerful keyboard shortcuts in VS Code that can truly boost your productivity — whether you’re coding in Python, JavaScript, Rust, or any language.
In this part, we focus on what I call the "Flow Zone":
📁 Opening files, 🔍 navigating through symbols, 📂 managing windows, and 🔄 jumping around like a pro.
🧭 Navigation Shortcuts: Speed Through Files, Symbols, and Lines
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Open File | Ctrl + P |
Cmd + P |
| Go to Line | Ctrl + G |
Cmd + G |
| Go to Symbol in File | Ctrl + Shift + O |
Cmd + Shift + O |
| Show All Symbols in Workspace | Ctrl + T |
Cmd + T |
| Navigate Editor Tabs | Ctrl + Tab |
Cmd + Option + → / ← |
| Peek Definition | Alt + F12 |
Option + F12 |
| Go to Definition | F12 |
F12 |
| Go to Reference | Shift + F12 |
Shift + F12 |
| Go Back / Forward | Alt + ← / → |
Ctrl + - / Shift + - |
💡 Tip: Mastering “Go to Symbol” and “Peek Definition” can reduce your dependency on mouse scrolling entirely.
📁 File & Window Management: Handle Projects Like a Pro
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New File | Ctrl + N |
Cmd + N |
| Open File | Ctrl + O |
Cmd + O |
| Close Active Tab | Ctrl + W |
Cmd + W |
| Reopen Closed Tab | Ctrl + Shift + T |
Cmd + Shift + T |
| Split Editor (Side-by-Side) | Ctrl + \ |
Cmd + \ |
| Switch Editor Groups | Ctrl + 1 / 2 / 3 |
Cmd + 1 / 2 / 3 |
| Explorer (Toggle Sidebar) | Ctrl + B |
Cmd + B |
| Toggle File Tree Focus | Ctrl + 0 |
Cmd + 0 |
🧠 Did you know? You can also drag files to different editor groups with your mouse after splitting the editor.
🧰 Bonus Workspace Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Open Recent Projects | Ctrl + R |
Cmd + R |
| Close Folder / Project | Ctrl + K F |
Cmd + K F |
| New Window | Ctrl + Shift + N |
Cmd + Shift + N |
| Close Window | Alt + F4 |
Cmd + Shift + W |
| Toggle Full Screen | F11 |
Cmd + Ctrl + F |
| Command Palette | Ctrl + Shift + P |
Cmd + Shift + P |
✅ Final Thoughts (Part 1)
Learning shortcuts isn’t about memorizing — it’s about replacing common mouse actions one at a time.
📌 Try this:
Use Ctrl + P for all file openings today.
Use Ctrl + B to show/hide the sidebar.
Split the editor and navigate without touching your mouse.
You’ll see your speed (and focus) rise almost instantly. 🚀
💬 Up Next:
In Part 2, I’ll cover code editing magic, refactoring shortcuts, multi-cursor workflows, and intelligent selection. Stay tuned!
Been cool seeing steady progress with shortcuts - it adds up. honestly figuring these little habits out probably did more for my sanity than any fancy tool ever did.