Setting Up Visual Studio Code & Git Bash Terminal On Windows

If you are looking to step up your coding game, then we have the perfect combination of tools that not only enhance your programming skills but also streamline your coding experience. Two common tools that we use in our packages are Visual Studio Code (VS Code) and Git Bash. This blog will provide a step-by-step guide on setting up Visual Studio Code and Git Bash Terminal on Windows.

Firstly, let’s get acquainted with these powerful tools.

What is Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code, or VS Code, is a powerful, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It has built-in Git commands, a fast source-code editor, and various extensions to customize your editor. It is lightweight and performs remarkably across multiple languages and platforms.

What is Git Bash?

Git Bash is an application for Microsoft Windows environments which provides Git command line services. It combines the features of Git and Bash (a popular Unix shell) to provide an intuitive way of handling a version control system.

Let’s move on to setting up these handy tools:

Setting Up Visual Studio Code

1. First and foremost, download the Visual Studio Code installer for Windows by visiting this official download page. Click on the Windows Icon to start the download.
2. Launch the installer after a successful download.
3. Make sure you accept the agreement and then click on ‘Next’.
4. Select a destination folder for your installation and proceed by clicking ‘Next’.
5. Choose whether you want a desktop icon and also if you want to add open with VS Code options to file context menus. Then, click ‘Next’.
6. Review the chosen settings and Install.
7. VS Code will automatically launch once the installation is completed.

Setting Up Git Bash Terminal

1. Navigate to the Git Bash official download website and click on the “Download” button to download the latest version.
2. After the download, open the installer and follow the prompts.
3. You will see an option to choose the default editor used by Git. For this guide, we’ll stick with the Nano editor.
4. When you reach the page titled ‘Adjusting the name of the initial branch in new repositories’, leave it as default and click on next.
5. On the ‘Adjusting your PATH environment’ page, select ‘Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software’.
6. Select ‘Use the OpenSSL library’ on the following page.
7. On the ‘Configuring the terminal emulator to use with Git Bash’ page, select ‘Use MinTTY’ option.
8. On ‘Configuring extra options’ page, check ‘Enable file system caching’ and ‘Enable Git Credential Manager’ and click ‘Next’.
9. Click ‘Install’ to start the installation process.

Integrating Git Bash with Visual Studio Code

1. Launch Visual Studio Code, and click on the gear icon at the bottom of the sidebar to open the settings.
2. Click on ‘Settings’.
3. Enter ‘terminal.integrated.shell.windows’ in the search bar and click ‘Edit in settings.json’.
4. Paste the following line in there:
   "terminal.integrated.shell.windows": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe".
   (Make sure to replace the path with the actual path where Git has been installed on your system.)
5. Save the file, close it, and then close the settings tab.

Now, when you open a new terminal inside Visual Studio Code, it should automatically open Git Bash. Simply use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + ~, and the terminal will appear at the bottom of the screen.

In conclusion, Visual Studio Code and Git Bash synergy offer a powerful development platform on Windows. Now you’re all set up to use Visual Studio Code and Git Bash Terminal on Windows, you can explore more about the best editor and terminal for your coding work.