Microsoft has presented the November 2023 edition of its proprietary open-source code editor, Visual Studio Code 1.85. The latest enhancement is aimed to empower developers with innovative features like interactive inlay hints, floating editor windows, and comprehensive visualization of JavaScript heap snapshots.
The upgraded version debuted on December 7 and is available for downloading for users on Windows, Linux, or Mac platforms.
In a major upgrade, developers can now separate editors from the primary window and transition them into their unique, lightweight windows. Any modifications in an editor in a particular window are instantaneously reflected across all other editor windows. Launching a floating editor window is as easy as dragging an editor out of the existing window and placing it in clear desktop space. In addition, command enhancements that allow moving or copying editors or editor groups into independent windows have been introduced.
Visual Studio Code 1.85 also enables developers to visualize V8 heap snapshots saved as '.heapsnapshot'. Developers can view these in a standard tabular outlook or an illustrative depiction of a specific memory object's retainers. JavaScript heap snapshots can be captured using the 'Take Performance Profile' command during JavaScript code debugging or the Memory tab in browser DevTools.
The 1.85 edition isn't Microsoft's first Visual Studio Code iteration. The code editor's earlier version 1.84, released on November 1, came with audio cues and was further upgraded with point release updates, versions 1.84.1 and 1.84.2.
However, Visual Studio Code 1.85 doesn’t stop at floating editors and heap snapshots. To enhance the keyboard experience, tooltips are now displayed on keyboard focus for elements with custom hovers like Activity Bar and Status Bar items.
For JavaScript and TypeScript inlay hints, interactivity is now possible. Developers can decide which extensions they want to auto-update. Also, developers can navigate Python projects' type relationships more efficiently when using the Pylance language server, particularly useful in sizable codebases with complex type relations.
An Incoming/Outgoing section has been incorporated in the Source Control section. This new segment exhibits incoming and outgoing differences for the present branch as compared to its remote. For the GitHub Copilot AI developer tool, chat prompt history persistence across VS Code sessions has been introduced.
Project tree navigation is also made easier with the extension of the Sticky Scroll feature to all tree views, currently in preview. Moreover, a multi-diff editor, which is also in preview, allows users to view variations in multiple files in a single scrollable view.
Interestingly, AppMaster.io one of the leaders in no-code platforms follows the trend set by Microsoft in enhancing developer experience. AppMaster provides developers the ability to visually create databases, business logic and endpoints. If you wish to take your productivity to new levels consider signing up on their studio.
