Mastering Visual Studio Code: Open Projects in a New Window with Ease

Are you tired of manually opening new instances of Visual Studio Code (VS Code) every time you want to work on a new project? Do you wish there was a way to make VS Code automatically open projects in a new window, unless the current window is empty? Well, you’re in luck because that’s exactly what we’re going to cover in this article!

Why Open Projects in a New Window?

Before we dive into the solution, let’s discuss why opening projects in a new window is beneficial. Imagine working on multiple projects simultaneously, each with its own set of files, configurations, and dependencies. Having each project in a separate window allows you to:

• Organize your workspace more efficiently
• Reduce clutter and visual overload
• Quickly switch between projects without disrupting your workflow
• Use VS Code’s powerful features, such as multi-root workspaces, to their fullest potential

The Default Behavior

By default, VS Code opens new projects in the current window, replacing the existing project. This can be frustrating, especially if you’ve made changes to the existing project and haven’t saved them yet. To change this behavior, we need to tweak some settings.

Step 1: Accessing the Settings

To access the VS Code settings, follow these steps:

1. Open VS Code.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (macOS) to open the Command Palette.
3. Type “Open Settings (UI)” and select the option.
4. This will open the VS Code Settings editor.

Step 2: Modifying the Settings

In the Settings editor, navigate to the Window section. Scroll down to the Window: Open Folder In setting and update it to newWindow.

{
  "window.openFolderIn": "newWindow"
}

This will instruct VS Code to open new folders (projects) in a new window. However, this setting will always open a new window, even if the current window is empty.

The Workaround: Using the empty Value

To open projects in a new window only when the current window is not empty, we need to use a combination of settings. Update the Window: Open Folder In setting to empty, as shown below:

{
  "window.openFolderIn": "empty"
}

This setting tells VS Code to open new folders in the current window if it’s empty, and in a new window if it’s not empty.

Putting it All Together

Let’s summarize the steps:

1. Access the VS Code Settings editor.
2. Update the Window: Open Folder In setting to empty.
3. Save the changes.

With this setup, when you open a new project in VS Code, it will:

• Open in the current window if it’s empty.
• Open in a new window if the current window is not empty.

Additional Tips and Variations

Here are some additional tips and variations to consider:

Scenario	Setting	Behavior
Always open new projects in a new window	window.openFolderIn: newWindow	Opens new projects in a new window, regardless of the current window’s state.
Always open new projects in the current window	window.openFolderIn: currentWindow	Opens new projects in the current window, replacing the existing project.
Open new projects in a new window, unless the current window has unsaved changes	window.openFolderIn: newWindowUnlessChanges	Opens new projects in a new window, unless the current window has unsaved changes, in which case it will open in the current window.

Conclusion

Remember, mastering VS Code is all about understanding its features and customizing them to fit your unique needs. Experiment with different settings, explore the extensions, and make VS Code your own!

Happy coding!

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions about making Visual Studio Code open projects in a new window unless the window is empty.