How to configure settings.json in VSCode

To correctly configure VS Code settings.json, first open the file through the command panel and edit JSON directly; 1. Open the command panel (Ctrl Shift P or Cmd Shift P), enter "Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)" and select to open the file, or click the "Open Settings (JSON)" icon in the upper right corner of the settings interface; 2. Understand the file structure, settings.json consists of key-value pairs, such as "editor.tabSize": 2 to control the indentation size; 3. Common settings include editor behavior (such as tabSize, insertSpaces, formatOnSave), file saving (autoSave, trimTrailingWhitespace), resource manager (confirmDelete), and search exclusion (search.exclude), etc.; 4. Differentiate between user settings and workspace settings. User settings affect all projects, while .vscode/settings.json in the root directory of the project only works on the current project and has higher priority, suitable for team unified specifications; 5. Best practices include ensuring that JSON syntax is correct, avoiding trailing commas, using // to add comments (although not standard but supported), referring to official settings and extended documents, and copying configuration item names by setting UI hover. Correct use of settings.json can achieve more refined control than the graphical interface, improve development efficiency and team consistency, and after modification, test the effectiveness of the situation, and finally end with a complete sentence.

Configuring settings.json in VS Code gives you fine-grained control over your editor behavior, beyond what the GUI settings allow. Here's how to set it up properly and use it effectively.

Open settings.json

To access the JSON-based settings file:

• Open the Command Palette ( Ctrl Shift P or Cmd Shift P on macOS).
• Type "Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)" and select it.
• This opens the settings.json file where you can edit configurations directly.

Alternatively, you can go to Settings ( Ctrl , or Cmd , ), click the "Open Settings (JSON)" icon in the top-right corner of the settings UI.

Understand the structure

The settings.json file is a simple JSON object with key-value pairs. Each key is a setting identifier, and the value configures its behavior.

Example:

 {
  "editor.tabSize": 2,
  "editor.insertSpaces": true,
  "files.autoSave": "onFocusChange",
  "workbench.colorTheme": "Visual Studio Dark"
}

These settings apply globally by default. You can also have workspace-specific settings by placing a .vscode/settings.json in your project root.

Common and useful settings

Here are some frequently customized options:

• Editor behavior

   "editor.tabSize": 2,
  "editor.insertSpaces": true,
  "editor.renderWhitespace": "boundary",
  "editor.wordWrap": "on",
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
    "source.fixAll": true
  }

• File and save settings

   "files.autoSave": "onFocusChange",
  "files.trimTrailingWhitespace": true,
  "files.insertFinalNewline": true,
  "files.trimFinalNewlines": true

• Explorer and UI

   "explorer.confirmDelete": false,
  "explorer.confirmDragAndDrop": false,
  "workbench.startupEditor": "none"

• Search

   "search.exclude": {
    "**/node_modules": true,
    "**/bower_components": true,
    "**/*.log": true
  },
  "search.useIgnoreFiles": false

• Extensions and integrations

   "emet.includeLanguages": {
    "javascript": "html"
  },
  "terminal.integrated.shell.linux": "/bin/zsh"

Note: Some settings may vary depending on your OS or installed extensions.

Workspace vs User settings

• User settings.json affects all projects.
• Workspace .vscode/settings.json applies only to the current project.

This is useful for team consistency — you can commit workspace settings to version control so everyone uses the same formatting rules.

Example .vscode/settings.json :

 {
  "editor.tabSize": 4,
  "python.linting.enabled": true,
  "python.linting.pylintEnabled": true
}

Workspace settings override user settings.

Tips and best practices

• Always validate your JSON. A syntax error (like a trailing comma) can break your settings.
• Use comments in settings.json ? Not officially supported, but VS Code allows // comments in this file despite JSON specs.
• Refer to the VS Code Settings Reference for full documentation.
• Extensions often add their own configurable keys — check their documentation.

You can also hover over a setting in the GUI (Settings UI) to see its name and copy it to use in settings.json .

Basically, settings.json is powerful and flexible. Whether you're standardizing team environments or tuning your personal workflow, editing this file directly offers precision that the settings UI can't match. Just keep it clean and test after changes.

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