How to use the sticky scroll feature in vscode?

To enable sticky scroll in VS Code, open Settings, search for sticky scroll, and check "Editor > Sticky Scroll: Enabled" or set "editor.stickyScroll.enabled": true in settings.json. 2. As you scroll, VS Code displays structural elements like class and function names in a sticky bar at the top, helping maintain context in large files, especially in languages with strong symbol outlining such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Java. 3. Customize sticky scroll by limiting visible levels with "editor.stickyScroll.maxLineCount": 5, disabling it for specific languages like Python using language-specific settings, and showing gutter icons with "editor.stickyScroll.showIcons": true to indicate sticky lines. 4. Sticky scroll works only in the active editor, requires structured code and language support for document symbols, and may not appear if conflicting extensions are present or symbol detection fails, but once enabled, it operates automatically without additional commands.

The sticky scroll feature in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) helps you keep track of your current code context by "sticking" important lines—like function or class definitions—at the top of the editor as you scroll through long files. This makes it easier to know where you are, especially in large files with many nested blocks.

Here’s how to use and customize sticky scroll in VS Code:

1. Enable Sticky Scroll

Sticky scroll is disabled by default in most versions. To turn it on:

• Open Settings (Ctrl+, on Windows/Linux or Cmd+, on macOS).
• Search for sticky scroll.
• Check the box for Editor > Sticky Scroll: Enabled, or set it to true in your settings.json:

"editor.stickyScroll.enabled": true

Once enabled, as you scroll down in a file, parent scopes (like class and function names) will appear in a sticky bar at the top of the editor.

2. How It Works While Coding

As you scroll:

• VS Code automatically detects structural elements (e.g., functions, classes, conditionals) based on language syntax.
• The current hierarchy is shown in a semi-transparent bar above your code.
• For example, in a JavaScript file:
  • If you're inside a method within a class, both the class name and method name may appear in the sticky bar.
  • This helps you remember which method of which class you're editing without scrolling back up.

Note: Sticky scroll works best in languages with good outline support (like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Java), since it relies on the document symbol structure.

3. Customize What Appears in Sticky Scroll

You can control how many levels are shown or which languages support it.

• Limit the number of items displayed:

  "editor.stickyScroll.maxLineCount": 5

• Exclude certain languages:

  "[python]": {
  "editor.stickyScroll.enabled": false
  }

You can also tweak whether to show the sticky scroll indicators in the editor’s line number gutter:

"editor.stickyScroll.showIcons": true

This adds small brackets or icons in the gutter to mark where sticky lines begin.

4. Limitations and Tips

• Not all languages support it equally – it depends on whether the language extension provides document symbols.
• Works only in the focused editor – if you have split views, only the active one shows sticky scroll.
• If you don’t see anything, try:
  • Making sure the file has structured code (e.g., functions/classes).
  • Using a language that supports symbol outlining.
  • Checking that no extension is interfering.

Sticky scroll is subtle but powerful once you get used to it. It reduces mental load when navigating deep code sections.

Basically, just enable it in settings and start scrolling – you’ll notice the context stay visible at the top. No extra commands or shortcuts needed.

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