Visual Studio Code - NEW FEATURES: Improvements for non US standard keyboard layouts

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Don't use a standard US English keyboard?

Booya! We've got you covered!

The 0.10.5 December release features a plethora of improvements, including...

Improvements for non US standard keyboard layouts

VS Code dispatches key bindings based on [keyboard codes](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd375731(v=vs.85). In keybindings.json and in all the UI, we used to render the key codes with the produced characters under the US standard keyboard layout. We received feedback that this was very confusing, therefore, we created a new Node.js module native-keymap that is used in VS Code to render the key bindings using the system's current keyboard layout.

For example, Split Editor when using a French (France) keyboard layout is now rendered as Ctrl+*: render key binding

When editing keybindings.json, we now highlight misleading key bindings - those that are represented in the file with the character produced under the standard US keyboard layout, but which need pressing keys with different labels under the current system's keyboard layout.

For example, here is how the Default keybindings rules look like when using a French (France) keyboard layout:

keybindings.json guidance

Finally, we added a new widget that helps input the key binding rule when editing keybindings.json. To launch the Define Keybinding widget, press Ctrl+K Ctrl+K. The widget listens for key presses and renders the serialized JSON representation in the text box and below it, the keys that VS Code has detected under your current keyboard layout. Once you've typed the key combination you want you can press Enter and a rule snippet will be inserted.

key binding widget

  

Check out all the new features and update to Visual Studio Code v0.10.6:

https://code.visualstudio.com/updates

      

Have a happy new year and a good bye!

Scratch that. Have a...

Great Bye!

   - Ninja Ed