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3.5 Workspaces and Extensions

Workspaces​

Workspaces in VS Code let you save and reuse project-specific settings, folders, and configurations.

Saving a Workspace

  1. Open a project folder in VS Code.
  2. Go to File → Save Workspace As…
  3. Save the file (e.g., myproject.code-workspace).

Reopening a Workspace

  • Go to File → Open Workspace → select the .code-workspace file.
  • This restores your folders, terminals, and project-specific settings.

Closing a Workspace

  • Go to File → Close Workspace.
  • VS Code returns to the default empty window.

Example: Conda Environment Per Project​

Suppose you have a data science project that uses a specific Conda environment (e.g., myenv). You can tie that environment to your VS Code workspace so it always loads automatically.

Inside your project folder, create a .vscode/settings.json file with:

{
  "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/home/username/miniconda3/envs/myenv/bin/python",
  "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true,
  "editor.formatOnSave": true
}

Now, whenever you reopen this workspace:

  • VS Code will automatically use the myenv Conda environment for running and debugging.
  • You don’t have to manually select it each time.
  • This makes it easier to keep project dependencies isolated and consistent.

Benefits

  • Keep settings, themes, and extensions project-specific.
  • Automatically load the right Conda environment or interpreter for each project.
  • Quickly switch between projects without losing context.
  • Remote - WSL → WSL integration
  • Python → Python development
  • C/C++ Tools → System programming
  • GitLens → Advanced Git integration
  • Prettier or ESLint → Code formatting/linting
  • Black Formatter → Python code formatting
  • Markdown All in One → Documentation editing
  • LaTeX Workshop → LaTeX editing
  • Themes: GitHub Theme, Catppuccin, Dracula, Nord

Additional Resources​