How to use Visual Studio Code as Default Editor for Git

In the most recent release (v1.0, released in March 2016), you are now able to use VS Code as the default git commit/diff tool. Quoted from the documentations:

  1. Make sure you can run code --help from the command line and you get help.

    • if you do not see help, please follow these steps:

      • Mac: Select Shell Command: Install 'Code' command in path from the Command Palette.

        • Command Palette is what pops up when you press shift + ⌘ + P while inside VS Code. (shift + ctrl + P in Windows)
      • Windows: Make sure you selected Add to PATH during the installation.
      • Linux: Make sure you installed Code via our new .deb or .rpm packages.
  2. From the command line, run git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

Now you can run git config --global -e and use VS Code as editor for configuring Git. enter image description here Add the following to enable support for using VS Code as diff tool:

[diff]
    tool = default-difftool
[difftool "default-difftool"]
    cmd = code --wait --diff $LOCAL $REMOTE

This leverages the new --diff option you can pass to VS Code to compare two files side by side.

To summarize, here are some examples of where you can use Git with VS Code:

  • git rebase HEAD~3 -i allows to interactive rebase using VS Code
  • git commit allows to use VS Code for the commit message
  • git add -p followed by e for interactive add
  • git difftool <commit>^ <commit> allows to use VS Code as diff editor for changes

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

or

git config --global core.editor "code -w"

verify with:

git config --global -e

Your configuration will open in Visual Studio Code.


For what I understand, VSCode is not in AppData anymore.

So Set the default git editor by executing that command in a command prompt window:

git config --global core.editor "'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft VS Code\code.exe' -w"

The parameter -w, --wait is to wait for window to be closed before returning. Visual Studio Code is base on Atom Editor. if you also have atom installed execute the command atom --help. You will see the last argument in the help is wait.

Next time you do a git rebase -i HEAD~3 it will popup Visual Studio Code. Once VSCode is close then Git will take back the lead.

Note: My current version of VSCode is 0.9.2

I hope that help.

Tags:

Git

Visual Studio Code

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