VSCode Features

VS Code Editor Features

VS Code provides a rich set of editor capabilities that are useful when working with Priority triggers, procedure steps, and SQLI files. The features below are standard VS Code functionality — not specific to the Priority Dev Tools extension.

Note: Keyboard shortcuts are accurate as of November 2025. For the latest, see https://code.visualstudio.com/docs

Keyboard Shortcuts

Feature Description Windows macOS
Command Palette Run commands, change settings, execute Priority commands, etc. Ctrl+Shift+P ⇧⌘P
Quick Open Open any file by typing part of its name Ctrl+P ⌘P
Switch Between Open Files Cycle through open editors in order of most recent use Ctrl+Tab ⌘Tab
Multi-Cursor Editing Edit multiple locations at once. Use Alt+Click for manual placement or Ctrl+D to select next matching word Alt+Click, Ctrl+D ⌥+Click, ⌘D
Search in File Find text in current file Ctrl+F ⌘F
Search & Replace Find and replace in current file Ctrl+H ⌘H
Search Workspace Search across all folders with support for regex and filters Ctrl+Shift+F ⇧⌘F
Split Editor View two files side by side Ctrl+\ ⌘\
Integrated Terminal Open terminal inside VS Code Ctrl+` ⌃`
Block Comments Toggle block comments (useful for Priority SQL) Shift+Alt+A ⇧⌥A
Move Line Up/Down Reorder code lines Alt+↑/↓ ⌥↑/↓
Copy Line Up/Down Duplicate current line Shift+Alt+↑/↓ ⇧⌥↑/↓
Rename Symbol Rename variable and update all occurrences Ctrl+F2 ^F2
Change Theme Switch between themes and preview as you navigate the list Ctrl+K+T ⌘K+T

Comparing Files (Diff View)

Before modifying a trigger or procedure step, save a backup copy in your customization project folder. You can then compare the working file against the backup:

  1. Right-click the first file → Select for Compare

  2. Right-click the second file → Compare with Selected

Extension Purpose Installation
Todo Tree Shows all TODO and FIXME comments in a tree view for easy navigation Install from VS Code Marketplace

Additional Resources

Tips & Tricks: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/tips-and-tricks

Keyboard Shortcuts:

  • Windows: https://code.visualstudio.com/shortcuts/keyboard-shortcuts-windows.pdf
  • macOS: https://code.visualstudio.com/shortcuts/keyboard-shortcuts-macos.pdf

Integration with AI Tools

VS Code supports AI coding assistants that can be used alongside Priority development. These tools work at the code level and are not aware of Priority’s broader application context.

Note: AI coding assistants are not trained on Priority development and may generate code that does not conform to Priority’s SQL syntax or conventions. Always validate AI-generated code against Priority’s requirements, your organization’s coding standards, and the relevant business logic before use.

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot provides inline code completion as you type, based primarily on the content of the current file.

Setup:

  1. Click the Copilot icon in the Activity Bar.
  2. Select Set up GitHub Copilot.
  3. Sign in to your GitHub account and follow the authentication prompts.

Documentation: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/setup

Cline

Cline is an autonomous coding agent that can plan, modify, and generate changes across multiple files. It can be given context from other files in the workspace, including project-specific coding guidelines.

Setup:

  1. Open Extensions → Search for “Cline”.
  2. Install the extension (marketplace link).
  3. Click the Cline icon in the sidebar.
  4. Click the Settings icon and configure:
    • API Provider: Your provider (e.g., LiteLLM)
    • Base URL: https://litellm.priority-corp.com (or your provider’s URL)
    • API Key: Provided by your organization
    • Model ID: e.g., anthropic.claude-4-sonnet
  5. Click Done.