Visual Studio Code v1.47 Changelog

This June 2020 update is all about making life easier for coders, whether they are fixing bugs, managing project files, or relying on screen readers to navigate their code. It brings a smoother experience to everyday tasks so you can focus on writing code instead of fighting with your tools.

What's new

• New JavaScript debugger: There is a brand-new default debugger for JavaScript (for Node.js and Chrome). A debugger is a tool that lets you pause your code to figure out why it isn't working. This new one is faster and lets you debug right in your terminal.
• Single-file debugging: You can now run or debug a single file with just one click on a "Play" or "Debug" button at the top right of your editor, without needing to set up a complicated configuration file.
• Hex Editor extension: You can now install an extension to edit files in hexadecimal format (a base-16 number system used to view raw computer data) directly inside VS Code.
• Remote development tutorials: New guides are available to teach you how to code on remote machines using SSH (a secure network protocol), inside Containers (isolated software environments), and in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

Improvements

• Unified Source Control view: If you are working on multiple projects at once, all your changed files are now grouped into a single, easy-to-read view instead of being scattered across separate tabs.
• Better file sorting: In the Source Control menu, you can now view your changed files as a tree or a list, and sort them by name, path, or status (like whether they were added or deleted).
• Editing complex settings: The Settings menu now lets you edit "object" settings (more complicated grouped settings) directly, instead of forcing you to open and edit a raw text file.
• Case changing in search: When using the Find and Replace tool, you can now use special shortcuts to automatically change text to uppercase or lowercase. For example, using \U will capitalize the replaced text.
• Accessibility updates: Screen readers (software that reads text aloud for visually impaired users) now correctly announce folder states and cursor positions. Also, if a screen reader tries to read the same message twice, it will actually read it again instead of skipping it.
• Less cluttered debugging: The Call Stack view (the list showing what functions your code is currently running) is now cleaner and hides confusing technical steps that you don't need to see.
• Windows ARM support: VS Code is now fully stable on Windows computers running on ARM processors (a type of chip common in newer, power-efficient devices).
• Search context lines: When you search for a word across your whole project, the search results will now show one line of text above and below your match, giving you better context for what you found.

Fixes

• Several security issues and general bugs were squashed in small follow-up updates (versions 1.47.1, 1.47.2, and 1.47.3) to make sure the editor is safe and stable.

Breaking changes

No breaking changes in this release.