How to Export Your Settings and Extensions in VS Code
Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful source code editor that has been gaining popularity among developers worldwide. One of the features that make it stand out is the ability to export settings and extensions.
In this article, we will explore the various ways to export your settings and extensions in VS Code.
Exporting Your Settings and Extensions in VS Code
Do you want to export your VS Code settings and extensions to another computer or backup for safekeeping? There are two main ways to do this: automatically syncing using the built-in Settings Sync functionality or manually exporting them to a file.
Using the Built-in Settings Sync Functionality:
VS Code’s built-in Settings Sync functionality allows you to export your settings and extensions to the cloud, making it easy to sync them across multiple devices. Here’s how to use it:
1.
Turn on Settings Sync
To turn on Settings Sync, select ‘Settings Sync: Turn On’ from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). Then, follow the prompts to sign in with your GitHub or Microsoft credentials.
2. Sync Now
Once Settings Sync is turned on, select ‘Settings Sync: Sync Now’ from the Command Palette.
This will sync your settings and extensions to the cloud. 3.
Show Synced Data
To view your synced data, select ‘Settings Sync: Show Synced Data’ from the Command Palette. This will take you to a webpage where you can configure which settings are stored.
Manually Syncing Your Settings:
If you prefer to manually sync your settings, you can do so by following these simple steps:
1. Manually Sync
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and search for ‘Settings Sync: Manually Sync.’ Select this option to manually sync your settings and extensions.
2. View Synced Data
To view your synced data, search for ‘Settings Sync: Show Synced Data’ in the Command Palette and select it.
Configuring Which Settings are Stored:
By default, all of your settings are stored in the cloud. However, you may want to configure which settings are stored in the cloud.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Tick Only Selected Boxes
Go to the ‘Settings Sync: Configure’ option in the Command Palette.
In the Storage Options section, untick the boxes for the settings that you don’t want to store in the cloud. 2.
OK Button
Click the ‘OK’ button to save your changes. Exporting Settings and Extensions into a File:
If you prefer to export your settings and extensions into a local file or GitHub gist for backup purposes, follow these steps:
1.
Export
Go to the ‘Settings Sync: Export Settings’ option in the Command Palette. Select whether you want to export your settings or extensions, and then select which file format you want to use.
2. Import Profile Button
Click the ‘Import Profile’ button to import your settings or extensions into another installation of VS Code.
Ensure both instances of VS Code are in sync, then select the profile you wish to import from the dropdown menu. Where Profiles are Stored:
If you want to know where your profiles are stored, follow these steps:
1.
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Search for ‘Preferences: Open User Settings’
3.
Open the ‘settings.json’ file to view your profiles
Manually Copying Specific Settings to Another Computer:
If you only want to copy specific settings to another computer, follow these steps:
1. Locate the ‘settings.json’ and ‘keybindings.json’ files
They are located in the following directories:
– On Windows: %APPDATA%CodeUser
– On macOS: $HOME/Library/Application Support/Code/User/
– On Linux: $HOME/.config/Code/User/
2.
Copy and Paste
Copy the specific settings you want to transfer to the new file and paste them into the corresponding files on the new computer.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, exporting your settings and extensions in VS Code has never been easier. You can either use the built-in Settings Sync functionality to automatically sync your settings and extensions across different devices or manually export them to a local file or GitHub gist.
By following these simple steps, you can effortlessly manage your settings and extensions in VS Code.
3) Manually Syncing Your Settings
In cases where you need to transfer your settings and extensions from one device to another at a specific time, you can manually sync them instead of relying on automatic syncing. Here’s how to manually sync your settings and extensions in VS Code:
1.
Open the Command Palette
On your VS Code instance, press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows, Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) to open the Command Palette.
2.
Search for “Settings Sync: Sync Now”
Enter “Settings Sync: Sync Now” in the Command Palette search box and press enter. This will trigger the syncing process.
Wait for the sync to complete.
Alternatively, you can manually sync your settings and extensions by clicking the “Sync Now” button located in the bottom-left corner of the VS Code window.
4. Viewing Synced Settings
After syncing your settings and extensions across multiple devices, you can view your synced data by following these easy steps:
1.
Open the Command Palette
Press the Command Palette shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P, depending on your operating system) on your VS Code instance. 2.
Search for “Settings Sync: Show Synced Data”
Type in “Settings Sync: Show Synced Data” in the Command Palette search box and press enter.
Alternatively, you can view your synced data by selecting the Settings Sync icon from the Explorer window.
3. View Synced Data
After selecting “Settings Sync: Show Synced Data,” a JSON file with your synced data will appear on the right side of the screen.
The file contains directories with all the settings and extensions that have synced to your account. You can restore your settings and extensions by selecting the JSON file you want to restore from and clicking the “Restore” button.
This action will restore your saved settings and extensions on to your current device.
4) Configuring Settings Sync
Do you have specific settings and extensions that you need to sync across devices? Do you want to configure which of your settings and extensions get uploaded to the cloud?
This is where the VS Code configuration tool comes in handy. You can use it to configure which settings sync in your VS Code workspace.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Open the Command Palette
Open the Command Palette using the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P).
2. Search for “Settings Sync: Configure”
Type “Settings Sync: Configure” into the palette search bar and click on it to view configuration options.
3. Select Settings to Sync
From the configuration options, select the settings and extensions that you would like synced across devices by ticking the appropriate boxes.
You can then click “OK” to save your changes.
Note: You may need to turn off automatic syncing to configure your settings if it is enabled.
Conclusion
VS Code’s Settings Sync helps you easily keep your settings and extensions consistent across multiple devices. Whether syncing automatically or manually, VS Code offers various methods to ensure that you have all your preferred settings and extensions synced to your preferred devices in a quick and hassle-free way.
With the ability to view and configure the settings that sync across your devices, you can rely on VS Code to keep your workspace in sync, regardless of which device you use. With this knowledge, you can take advantage of these functionalities to manage your settings and extensions.
5) Exporting Settings and Extensions:
If you want to backup or transfer your settings and extensions to a different device or share them with others, exporting your VS Code profile is a must. Heres how to do it:
1.
Exporting Your Profile:
To export your VS Code profile, follow these simple steps:
1. Click on the gear icon to open the settings sidebar.
2. Choose “Settings Sync” from the list.
3. Click the “Export” button.
4. From the pop-up window, tick the boxes for the settings and extensions that you want to export.
5. Name your profile to make it identifiable.
6. The profile will be saved with a unique URL.
Copy this link to save it for future reference. After completing these steps, you will have successfully exported your VS Code profile.
You can do this to backup or transfer your settings and extensions to a different device.
2.
Importing Your Exported Profile:
To import your exported profile to another device or share them with others, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Command Palette by using the shortcut key (Ctrl + Shift + P) or (Cmd + Shift + P) depending on your operating system.
2. Type or search “Settings Sync: Import Profile” and select it.
3. You will be prompted to provide the URL of the exported profile you want to import.
Paste the URL of the external link to import settings. 4.
If the profile is saved on your device or GitHub Gist, choose the “Local File” or “Github Gist URL” respectively, enter the URL and click “OK” to import the profile. 5.
You now have the option to select which settings and extensions to import using the checkboxes provided. After selecting the checkboxes, click the “OK” button to import the selected settings and extensions.
Conclusion:
Exporting and importing your VS Code settings and extensions is an essential tool in maintaining workspace continuity. It allows you to back up your settings and extensions online or locally, enabling you to take them with you or quickly restore them on another device.
With the easy steps highlighted in this article, you can easily export or import your profile, ensuring that you never lose track of your settings and extensions in VS Code. The added advantage of customizing the settings that you export or import ensures that you have all the information you need to get the job done.
The next time you find yourself on a different device or collaborating with others, use the export/import tool to your advantage to save time and energy. In conclusion, exporting and importing your settings and extensions in VS Code is essential to maintaining workspace continuity.
Whether you want to sync your data automatically or manually across different devices, or backup and transfer your settings and extensions, VS Code offers easy-to-use tools that streamline the process. Configuring which settings are synced, viewing synced data in JSON format, and manually copying specific settings to another computer are some of the additional steps to consider when managing your settings and extensions.
By taking advantage of these functionalities, developers can focus on their work with the confidence that their preferred settings and extensions are always readily available.