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Auto-save habit

Forgot to save the file? VS Code's auto-save feature makes you no longer anxious!​

Have you ever been embarrassed like this?​

You are writing code in VS Code with great enthusiasm, inspiration bursting out, fingertips flying, each function is written more and more smoothly, and each variable name is full of wisdom. Suddenly, your teammate jumps over and is eager to see the code you just wrote. As a result, you habitually press Ctrl + S (or Cmd + S on Mac) to save it, but - nothing happens! You are stunned and suddenly realize, oh no! You forgot to save the file! All the hard work was not saved! Do you remember what you said to the screen? This might be like this:

  • Frustrated: "Why am I so careless? I wrote so much, but it's all gone?"

  • Regretful: "If I had known that it could be saved automatically, why did I have to worry about saving it myself?"

  • Angry: "I clearly pressed Ctrl + S, but why is this world so unfair?!"

But don't worry! VS Code's autosave feature is here!​

That's right, VS Code's built-in autosave feature is definitely a lifesaver for programmers. It can help you forget the trouble of manually saving files and automatically save all your code for you! From now on, you don't have to worry about losing your work progress, nor do you have to worry about wasting time because of a small "forget to save"! 🎉

Let's enable the autosave feature and solve the problem easily:​

  1. Open VS Code. Yes, you heard it right, it is this seemingly ordinary IDE, but it hides powerful functions!
  2. Click the settings icon (the little gear) in the bottom left corner and select Settings, or just use the shortcut Ctrl + , (Cmd + , on Mac). This will take you to the settings page, where all the VS Code settings are waiting for you to explore.
  3. Type "auto save" in the search box on the settings page. You will see an option called Auto Save, click it. Next, you can choose the automatic saving method according to your personal needs.
  4. You will find several options:
  • After Delay (delayed saving): After selecting this option, you can set a delay time, such as saving after 1000 milliseconds (1 second). That is, if you do not operate within a certain period of time, VS Code will automatically save the file.
  • On Window Change (Save when switching windows): After selecting this option, VS Code will automatically save the current file when you switch to another window. This is especially convenient for developers who are working on multiple projects at the same time!
  • On Window Change (delay) (delayed window switching save): Delayed saving can give you a longer buffer and avoid misoperation.

You can set it according to your personal habits and choose the auto-save method that suits you best.

Why turn on the auto-save function?​

  • Avoid losing code: You no longer have to worry about losing your recent changes due to a momentary negligence. When you focus on writing code, VS Code will automatically save your changes in the background to ensure that your files are always up to date.

  • Improve work efficiency: Programmers' time is precious. Less frequent pressing Ctrl + S to save files can save you a lot of time and improve work efficiency. Auto-save is like your personal assistant. It quietly handles these trivial things for you when you are busy, allowing you to focus more on development.

  • Reduce anxiety and loss: When you lose your code because you forget to save, the mood is even worse than losing your wallet. After turning on auto-save, you no longer worry about this mistake, allowing you to focus on writing perfect code instead of feeling sorry for the part you forgot to save.

  • Convenient cross-device work: Sometimes, you may work on different devices. If you turn on the autosave feature, VS Code will help you sync and save files even when you switch between different devices, reducing the trouble of manual saving and ensuring that the work progress on each device is synchronized.

Use scenarios for the autosave feature​

The autosave feature is not limited to a specific use case. It is applicable to almost all development scenarios, especially the following situations:

  1. Multi-person collaboration: If you work with team members and you are all using VS Code, everyone can rely on the autosave feature to ensure that everyone can quickly save and synchronize changes to reduce version conflicts.
  2. When dealing with large files: When you are dealing with very large files or code bases, manual saving can be very troublesome. Autosave can reduce unnecessary operations and keep files always up to date.
  3. Multi-tasking development: When writing code, you often switch back and forth between multiple files and windows. After turning on autosave, you don’t need to worry about forgetting to save the file when switching windows. VS Code will help you save automatically.

Possible situations and solutions​

  • **Autosave sometimes does not work? ** This rarely happens, but if you find that autosave occasionally fails, try restarting VS Code or checking your network connection (if you use the sync feature).
  • **Will it affect performance? ** The default delay for autosave is 1000 milliseconds (1 second), which is short enough not to affect performance. If you want to save more resources, you can also increase the save interval.

Summary: Make Autosave Your Superhero​

Forgetting to save a file can really make people frustrated, but fortunately, VS Code provides us with a perfect solution - autosave! With a simple setting, you can let VS Code automatically save files for you, freeing your hands and allowing you to focus on more important things, such as writing cooler code, debugging bugs, or even enjoying a cup of coffee ☕.

Previous reminder

So, don't worry about forgetting to save anymore! Turn on the autosave feature of VS Code and become a developer who is no longer lost in the world of unsaved code!

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