How Do You Change Lines In VS Code?

VS Code provides powerful and efficient keyboard shortcuts and multi-cursor features for changing lines. You can move, duplicate, and delete lines with simple key combinations or edit multiple lines simultaneously.

Manipulating lines with keyboard shortcuts

Move a line

To move a line of code, place your cursor anywhere on the line and press the following key combination:

• Windows / Linux:Alt + ↑ (up arrow) or ↓ (down arrow)
• Mac:Option + ↑ or ↓

Duplicate a line

To copy and paste a line, place the cursor on the line you want to copy and press:

• Windows / Linux:Shift + Alt + ↑ or ↓
• Mac:Shift + Option + ↑ or ↓

Delete a line

To delete a line instantly, place your cursor on the line and use this shortcut:

• Windows / Linux:Ctrl + Shift + K
• Mac:Command + Shift + K

Insert a new line

To add a new line without moving your cursor to the end of the current line, use one of these commands:

• Insert line below:Ctrl + Enter
• Insert line above:Ctrl + Shift + Enter

Editing multiple lines simultaneously

Multi-cursor editing

Multi-cursor editing allows you to add or change text on multiple lines at once. You can achieve this in two main ways:

• Windows / Linux: Hold Ctrl + Alt and press the ↑ or ↓ arrow key to add cursors to consecutive lines.
• Mac: Hold Option + Command and press the ↑ or ↓ arrow key to add cursors to consecutive lines.

Arbitrary cursors with a mouse

If the lines you want to edit are not consecutive, you can place cursors manually with your mouse:

• Windows / Linux: Hold Alt and click where you want to add an additional cursor.
• Mac: Hold Option and click where you want to add an additional cursor.

Select and edit all matching text

This is a powerful method for changing multiple lines if you need to replace all instances of a specific word or phrase:

1. Double-click a word to select it, or highlight a longer phrase.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + L (Windows/Linux) or Command + Shift + L (Mac) to select all other occurrences of that text in the document.
3. Start typing to replace all instances at once.

Column (box) selection

For bulk edits that align vertically, you can select and edit a rectangular block of code:

• To start: Go to Selection > Column Selection Mode or press Ctrl + Shift + Alt + ↓ or ↑.
• Using the mouse: Hold Shift + Alt and click and drag to draw a box around the text.

Using the Command Palette

For every shortcut mentioned, you can also use the Command Palette, which is helpful if you forget the keybindings.

1. Open the Command Palette with Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Command + Shift + P (Mac).
2. Type a command, such as "Move Line Up," and select it from the list.

Advanced line modifications

Find and Replace

For more complex changes, especially across multiple files, use the Find and Replace feature:

1. Open it by pressing Ctrl + H (Windows/Linux) or Command + H (Mac).
2. Enter the text to find in the top field and the replacement text in the bottom field.
3. Use the Replace or Replace All buttons.

Refactoring and intelligent edits

For more complex code changes, VS Code can automatically suggest edits using built-in features and extensions.

• Smart Rename: Place your cursor on a variable or function and press F2 to rename all references simultaneously.
• AI-assisted editing: Extensions like GitHub Copilot can provide intelligent, context-aware suggestions for refactoring and editing code, which can help with complex changes across multiple lines.